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See
HPP's exclusive Matt Lewis (Neville Longbottom) interview
here,
and see what he has to say to HPP visitor's here! |
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Here's the news on everything Harry Potter!
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Beedle the Bard Amazon Contest Finalists Announced
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We previously told you of a contest Amazon was holding for fans to win the chance to visit London for a weekend with J.K. Rowling's hand-written book, The Tales of Beedle the Bard.
Amazon have now announced the two finalists. They are 16-year-old Rhiannon D. of Jones Hill, Australia, and Laura H. of Fresno, Calif., representing the 18 and older age group.
Amazon customers have one week to vote for who they'd like to win. US customers can vote here and UK customers can vote here.
The winner will be announced on May 22nd.
Thanks to HPANA. |
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Rowling Writes A “Storycard” For Charity
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Bloomberg reported the author of the Harry Potter series J.K. Rowling will be among 12 other authors to compose a “storycard” on a blank A5 card for a charity auction at Waterstone’s Piccadilly store in London on June 10, 2008. The proceeds from the “What’s Your Story” event will be donated to English PEN and Dyslexia Action.
The evening auction is by invitation only and the bidders will know who created each card. The other authors are Richard Ford, Tom Stoppard, Sebastian Faulks, Doris Lessing and Nick Hornby.
``It's impossible to say how much this auction will raise,'' said Gerry Johnson, managing director of Waterstone's, in the statement. ``With the caliber of authors involved, then really the sky is the limit. Owning an original piece of work by a favorite writer is the ultimate limited edition for fans.''
Thanks The Leaky Cauldron |
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JK Rowling, Chief Mommy Officer Hall of Fame Honoree
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Emediawire posted a press release of the honorees for the Chief Mommy Officer Hall of Fame Class 2008 submitted by Chief Parenting. Although only living American mothers are currently eligible for this honor, J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, is a honorary “Global” inductee, in recognition of “the impact she has had on children and their parents around the world, especially in the United States.”
Other honorees include Paula Deen, Naomi Judd, Nancy Lopez, Carolyn Moseley Braun, Indra Nooyi, Sandra Day O’Connor, Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Walters, and Meg Whitman.
Congratulations, JKR! |
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J.K. Rowling Wins Privacy Suit on Photos of David
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J.K. Rowling has won the privacy suit regarding some photos taken of her son David that were published without her consent or knowledge.
Sir Anthony Clarke, the ruling judge, stated, "If a child of parents who are not in the public eye could reasonably expect not to have photographs of him published in the media, so too should the child of a famous parent."
J.K. Rowling and her husband, Neil Murray, put out a statement, saying, "We embarked on this lawsuit not because we were seeking special privileges for our children but because we wanted them to grow up, like their friends, free from unwarranted intrusion into their privacy."
Let's hope that the RDR Books vs JKR/WB case comes out with this type of positive ruling as well. |
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Vote for Your Beedle the Bard Contest Semi-Finalist
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We previously told you of Amazon's contest for a fan to spend a weekend in London with J.K. Rowling's The Tales of Beedle the Bard hand-written book that Amazon purchased. Well now Amazon have narrowed the winners down to 20 semi-finalists and are giving Amazon members a chance to vote for who they'd like to see go to the next level. They have 10 choices in the age category of 13 to 17, and 10 choices in the 18 or older category. Go here to vote for your choice in the 13 to 17 age group, and here to vote for your choice in the 18 and older group. |
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Vander Ark: I'm an Outcast Now
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Steve Vander Ark of the HP Lexicon and who, along with RDR Books, recently went up against J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros in a court battle regarding a book he is trying to publish on the Harry Potter world, spoke with The New Yorker about his experience.
“I really wish we had had a different kind of meeting,” he said later. “There were a couple times I kind of gave her a half-smile. She didn’t smile back...I am an outcast now. But I still consider myself a ‘Harry Potter’ fan.”
Thanks to Wizard News. |
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Rapoport of RDR Books Speak of Lawsuit
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Roger Rapoport of RDR Books spoke with the Chicago Tribune about his company's case against J.K. Rowling/Warner Bros on whether or not the HP Lexicon book, written by HP Lexicon website owner Steve Vander Ark, should be published due to copyright issues. The trial took place last month and a decision has yet to be made in the matter. Links to where you can read the transcript can be found here.
Click here to read more. |
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Full Transcript of Lexicon Trial Now Available
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The trial of The Harry Potter Lexicon, has caused quite a stir in the media and in the fandom and has been watched intently by both. Recently, transcripts have been made available to the public thanks to Stanford Law School.
Stanford's Fair Use Project sided with the defendant, RDR Books, during the trial.
You can see their transcripts here, here, and here.
Thanks, MuggleNet! |
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ABC's 20/20 Planning J.K. Rowling Behind The Scenes Special
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Hollywood Reporter is reporting that ABC's 20/20 is planning a special edition of a behind-the-scenes look at the life of J.K. Rowling. ABC is collaborating with RDF, who spent a year with Jo recording many interviews and parts of her private life, including when she finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The special had aired on ITV1 in the UK last December. The 20/20 special will air on ABC in November. |
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Steve Can Write His Own Guide, Says Rowling
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J. K. Rowling, the author of the best-selling Harry Potter series, took the stand in court for a second time today.
"I never ever once wanted to stop Mr. Vander Ark from doing his own guide — never ever," she said in court, the final witness in the trial. "Do your book, but please, change it so it does not take as much of my work."
Even with these words, Rowling firmly expressed her concern for the precedent to be set by this case. Namely that authors of popular works may lost the right to control their copyright.
"Do I have fewer rights because many people read my books?"
"Authors have a right to protect their works from misuse," she said. "I believe the floodgates will open. Are we the owners of our own work?"
Click here to read more. |
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Rowling Most Collectible Author
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According to data collected throughout 2007 by AbeBooks, the world's largest online bookstore, J. K. Rowling, the author of the ever-popular Harry Potter series, took the number one spot in their Most Collectible Author list, beating out other others such as Philip Pullman, William Shakespeare, and Stephen King.
You can view the complete list of the top 25 collectible authors at AbeBooks' website.
Thanks to AbeBooks for the tip! |
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Rowling's Signature Helps Church Raise £10,000
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For those who were fortunate enough to view the documentary on J. K. Rowling this last December, you may remember her visiting St. Luke's church as she flipped through the visitor's book with her sister to locate their names. Now, her signature in that book has helped raise £10,000 ($19,741) at a fundraising event for Tutshill church, at which the book was on display.
"We also have a first edition signed copy of her latest book which we are currently deciding what to do with," said Reverend Royston Grosvenor, "Maybe it will be used as a prize or go to auction, depending on what will raise us more money."
Thanks, HPANA! |
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J.K. Rowling Statement Regarding Today's Legal Proceedings
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J.K. Rowling has released a statement that was sent to us regarding today's legal proceedings.
“The book at the heart of this case has overstepped a boundary so unreasonably that I have been forced, regretfully, to take legal action. Authors have a right to protect their works from misuse. Do I have fewer rights because many people read my books? If this book is published, it will open the floodgates for anyone to lift an author’s work and present it as their own. But if it is not published, that will be a boon not only to all who create original works, but to all who enjoy those works.” |
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Partial Settlement Reached on Lexicon Suit
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As the third day of the Lexicon lawsuit comes to an end in court, word of a partial settlement has reached the media.
"The lawyers informed the court this morning that, despite Judge Patterson’s urgings," said the blog post at the Wall Street Journal by Ashby Jones, "they had reached a settlement only on the false advertising and deceptive trade practices claims. The settlement means only that neither J.K Rowling's name nor her quote endorsing the online version of Steven Vander Ark’s H.P Lexicon will appear on the cover of the book version of the Lexicon."
Click here to read more. |
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WB on RDR Books: They Knew What They Were Doing
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A spokesperson for Warner Bros has issued a statement on the issue of the RDR Books vs J.K. Rowling/Warner Bros trial currently taking place.
"A fan's affectionate enthusiasm should not obscure acts of plagiarism. The publishers knew what they were doing. The problem remains that the Lexicon takes an enormous amount of Ms. Rowling's work and adds virtually no original commentary of its own. As we've said in court, it takes too much and adds too little. Authors have a duty to prevent the exploitation of their works by people who contribute nothing original, creative or interpretive."
Thanks to MN. |
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Judge Patterson Urges Parties to Settle
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Judge Robert Patterson, who is presiding over the Lexicon court case, addressed the court today concerning the law suit.
"I’m concerned that this case is more lawyer-driven than it is client-driven," he said, removing his glasses. "The fair use people are on one side, and a large company is on the other side. . . . The parties ought to see if there's not a way to work this out, because there are strong issues in this case and it could come out one way or the other. The fair use doctrine is not clear."
Fair use is defined by Wikipedia as, "limited use of copyrighted material without requiring permission from the rights holders, such as use for scholarship or review" and is a large part of this case.
"I'm bringing it up now so you can think about it before you get into the rest of the case," said the judge, "Maybe it's too late; maybe we've gone too far down the road. But a settlement is better than a lawsuit." |
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Rowling Issues Statement Concerning Lexicon Suit
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Today, April 14th, 2008 marked the start of the court proceedings against RDR Books and Steve VanderArk of The Harry Potter Lexicon.
The entire suit has been a very draining and emotional time for J. K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series.
"I really don't want to cry," said the author, "These characters meant so much to me, and continue to mean so much to me, over such a long period of time. It's very difficult for someone who is not a writer to understand. The closest I can come is to say to someone: 'How do you feel about your child?'"
Update: BBC now has video of this statement.
Read more of the statement here. |
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J.K. Rowling Lexicon Case: Day Two
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Day two begins today in the court case of J.K. Rowling versus RDR Books/HP Lexicon's Steven Vander Ark. The media continues with reports about the case, including one that mentions the fact that J.K. Rowling had bestowed the honor of a Fan Site Award from her website. Read more to see what she had to say and continue to check here for all of today's news on the case. |
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Lexicon Suit: Day One Overview
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So far, we have brought you three reports from the Lexicon Lawsuit which can be seen here, here, and here. Thanks to The Leaky Cauldron we now bring you more from today's court case.
When asked about the Lexicon and whether it was just a photocopy of her work, she replied that it was "very slightly more than that". David Hammer noted that there was a text entry for every character. "Is that the best you can say for the Lexicon?" Rowling replied, "'It has text'?" Hammer responded that a lot of work had gone into the Lexicon. Rowling's reply was simple and honest. "Yes, it was a lot of work," she said. "I remember doing it.”
Click here for more. |
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More From The Lexicon Lawsuit: Quotations From Court
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In court today, Rowling is quoted as saying, "he has simply taken it and copied it. It is sloppy, lazy and it takes my work wholesale."
"What particularly galls is the lack of quotation marks. If Mr. Vander Ark had put quotation marks around everything he lifted, most of the Lexicon would be in quotation marks," she said, speaking of the Lexicon.
"This is not a case about money." The Harry Potter Lexicon, by Steve Vander Ark, "does not reflect well on the Harry Potter series."
An overview of events leading up to today's court proceedings can be found in our latest edition of our newsletter, viewable here. You can sign up to receive our free newsletter via this link.
Click here to read more. |
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Rowling on "100 Most Powerful People In British Culture" List
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Telegraph.co.uk created a list of 100 Most Powerful People In British Culture. J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, is 14:
"J.K. Rowling, 42, author. Harry Potter brought her fame and fortune, and she in turn has given a break to the British film industry, by insisting the films of her books be shot in Britain with an all-British cast. Has said: 'I never wanted [fame] and I never expected it and certainly didn't work for it, and I see it as something that I have to get through, really."
Stephen Fry, who narrates the UK version of the Harry Potter audiobooks, is 44. Helena Bonham Carter, who played "Bellatrix Lestrange" in the film version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, is 99.
Thanks The Leaky Cauldron |
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J.K. Rowling Arrives to New York Court Tomorrow
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Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling is set to begin testifying in the court case against Steven Vander Ark of Harry Potter Lexicon. Vander Ark is trying to publish a Harry Potter book that includes the information from his website. J.K. Rowling is against this, as she feels that it is unfair to fans who can get the information on a website, and then are charged for the same information when buying the book.
The court proceedings begin tomorrow in Manhattan. A private security guard is being provided for Jo in the courtroom. She will spend breaks in a jury room so that fans will not bother her during this stressful time. |
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J.K. Rowling and Other Authors Urge Darfur Children Protection
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J.K. Rowling, along with 13 other children's authors, wrote a letter urging the protection of the children in Darfur. The letter, whose signature also includes Judy Blume and Cornelia Funke, states, "It is time to change the narrative. It is time to tell a different story. This April many children in Darfur will be reaching their fifth birthdays without ever having known peace. The world needs to wake up. For too long it has let these children suffer. Our politicians need to act on Darfur."
The letter is part of efforts to bring awareness to the sad events that have taken place in Darfur and comes on the eve of the Global Day for Darfur, which marks the fifth anniversary of the conflict. Read the entire letter here. |
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