J.K. Rowling Testifies Today in Lawsuit
J.K. Rowling by Eamonn McCormack/WireImage.com
J.K. Rowling will appear in a Manhattan court today to testify in her lawsuit against a publisher hoping to print the
Harry Potter Lexicon.
The
Lexicon is an encyclopedia - compiled by Steven Vander Ark, who runs a website of the same title with similar content - dedicated to the magical world Rowling created in her seven wildly popular
Harry Potter novels. In her lawsuit against Vander Ark's publisher, RDR Books, Rowling claims the book is simply "a rearrangement of her own material."
Although RDR is not challenging Rowling's claim of copyright infringement, the judge will hear testimony to determine if the use of the material in a scholarly pursuit should be deemed legal, according to the AP. Rowling, who has previously praised the website, will testify about the multiple similarities between her texts and the planned
Lexicon book. The case is expected to last most of the week.
Do you think Rowling will/should win her case? Is there a difference between using the content online rather than in a book? -
Adam Bryant
