Buzz
As one of the most iconic franchises in the world, Harry Potter has given birth to books, films, stage shows, video games, and even theme parks. With the films raking in $7.2 billion globally and the books contributing an even larger $7.7 billion in revenue, J.K. Rowling quickly rose to become the wealthiest Brit, surpassing figures like Richard Branson and even the queen.
However, where fortune flows, legal battles often follow. From fraudulent claims to enthusiastic fans, many individuals have sought to profit from this money-making empire. From the questionable to the utterly bizarre, here are 10 notable lawsuits connected to the Harry Potter world.
10. Nancy Stouffer
US author Nancy Stouffer first became aware of Harry Potter in 1999, two years after the debut of the first book. Allegedly, she was appalled. Not only had Rowling openly and unashamedly taken the term “Muggles,” but she had also slightly altered the name of The Boy Who Lived from one of Stouffer’s characters, Larry Potter.
Stouffer’s characters originated from a series of pamphlets she created in the late 1980s, meant to be monthly activity kits for children. Only two pamphlets were produced, none sold, and their resemblance to the Harry Potter books could be generously called “barely coincidental” at best.
One of the pamphlets, The Legend of Rah and the Muggles, introduced a race of tiny, hairy mutants known as muggles who never grew taller than 51 centimeters (20 in) and traveled on bees. Larry Potter and His Best Friend Lilly was a coloring book about a boy who felt down because he needed glasses.
In 2001, Stouffer established a new publishing company to re-release her works under the name “N.K. Stouffer” and subsequently sued J.K. Rowling. Rowling’s legal team swiftly dismantled her case, showing that the stories were vastly different and exposing signs of substantial fraud on Stouffer’s part.
Stouffer was unable to present any proof of her original works, and it was revealed that Larry was only called “Potter” in a single paragraph. This paragraph had been written in a different font than the rest of the text, a font that hadn’t even existed in the 1980s.
Additionally, The Legend of Rah and the Muggles appears to have originally been titled Rah, with the other words being added later. The printers involved were not equipped to produce the font used for the additional words.
Stouffer was fined $50,000, and her lawsuit was dismissed. She appealed, but the ruling was upheld. In 2006, she mentioned that she was still considering further legal action, but no new lawsuits against Rowling were filed after that.
9. Willy The Wizard
Another alleged case of plagiarism, this time involving the story of Willy the Wizard by Adrian Jacobs, was brought forward. However, it was not Jacobs who made the claim but his family.
Jacobs had been deceased for 12 years when his estate filed a lawsuit in 2009. Despite J.K. Rowling's success as a billionaire from her global franchise, his heirs alleged that she had copied substantial portions of The Goblet of Fire from Willy the Wizard.
The elements in question were said to include a wizarding contest where competitors must rescue a hostage from creatures that are part human, part animal. In Harry Potter, they were mermaids, while in Willy, they were kangaroo centaurs.
Other similarities included wizards’ chess, wizards’ newspapers, and a wizards’ prison. However, in Willy the Wizard, the ‘prison’ was actually a beach called Banish Bay. Both books also featured trains. The case was dismissed in 2011.
8. eBay And eBooks
Ebooks have proven to be a valuable addition to the publishing world, granting readers across the globe the ability to easily and affordably access almost any book they desire. The downside, however, is that it has become much simpler for anyone with a computer to duplicate books and distribute them widely without bearing the costs associated with printing or securing the author's consent.
In 2004, J.K. Rowling encountered this issue with Baazee.com, the Indian subsidiary of eBay. While Baazee itself didn’t create the pirated ebooks, it allowed numerous users to upload unauthorized copies of the Harry Potter series.
Rowling received an unusual injunction against the platform, which dictated that they would be compelled to remove the illicit ebooks unless they voluntarily took them down. Though such an order didn’t leave much room for voluntary action, all the ebooks, sellers, and related ads were removed from the site.
7. Harry Potter And Bao Zoulong
When it comes to The Goblet of Fire, who could forget its unforgettable ending? The Dark Lord has returned! For years, fans eagerly awaited this moment, only to be greeted by the first paragraph of the fifth book, which was nothing short of spectacular.
“Harry doesn’t know how long it will take to clean the sticky cream cake from his face. For someone as refined as he is, it's revolting to have dirt on any part of his body. He lies in the luxurious china bathtub, continues wiping his face, and reflects on Dali’s face, which is as round as Aunt Penny’s bottom.”
At least, these are the words that would meet you if you were unfortunate enough to pick up the counterfeit 2002 Chinese edition. Initially misrepresented by Western media as Harry Potter and Leopard Walk Up to Dragon, Harry Potter and Bao Zoulong was soon exposed as a fake fifth book written by an anonymous author.
In this version, Harry is turned into a powerless dwarf who must fight a dragon. It quickly became obvious that most of the story was taken from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, with just the names changed. Needless to say, fans weren’t fooled by this subpar imitation, and the publisher behind it was fined a modest £1,600 (US$3,400).
6. Claire Field
The advantage of having the backing of a massive multinational corporation is that they can—and will—eliminate anyone who dares to infringe upon their interests, even in the smallest of ways. The downside, however, is that they might deploy their vast army of lawyers against a 15-year-old girl. This is exactly what occurred in 2000 when they targeted Claire Field just days before Christmas.
Claire was such a devoted fan of the Harry Potter books that she ran her very own website, harrypotterguide.co.uk. However, with the first film about to release the following year, Warner Brothers decided to acquire any domain containing the words “harry potter,” which led them to send a threatening letter to the young girl.
The story quickly made its way into the British media, and Warner Brothers eventually relented. Despite having communicated with the girl’s father, Warner Brothers insisted that the media backlash had no influence on their decision, labeling the entire situation as a clerical mistake.
5. Harry Potter Lexicon
Claire Field wasn’t the only fan-site owner of a Harry Potter page who ran into conflict with J.K. Rowling. In 2007, RDR Books had plans to turn the Harry Potter Lexicon website into a book, similar to an encyclopedia, cataloging the spells, potions, creatures, and characters from the novels.
Even though Rowling had previously praised the site and its creator, Steve Vander Ark, she later stated that she had intentions to release a similar book herself and could not condone a fan profiting from it “for their own personal gain.”
In 2008, a judge in Manhattan halted the book’s publication, ruling that it lacked sufficient original commentary and was merely reordering Rowling’s words. He also awarded Rowling and Warner Brothers $750 for each of the seven novels, along with the two companion books, Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. This increased the franchise's value by a hefty $6,750.
Vander Ark did go on to release a condensed version of his book, with the word “unauthorized” prominently featured in the title.
4. Wyrd Sisters
With so many bands around today, coming up with a distinctive name can be a real challenge. This is especially true when the band only plays a minor role, mentioned a total of four times. Thus, it's understandable that J.K. Rowling didn't stress too much and simply chose the unoriginal name 'Weird Sisters.'
However, the Winnipeg folk band, The Wyrd Sisters, wasn't so understanding. After being offered $5,000 by the film producers for the right to use the name, the Canadian band countered with a $40 million lawsuit.
Though the name was spelled differently, the fact that the band had been acknowledged by the producers gave them enough grounds to accuse Warner Brothers of copyright infringement. The lawsuit dragged on for five years before being quietly resolved with a confidential settlement.
3. Aaron Lambert
Despite some copies of the books accidentally being sold before their official release date, Aaron Lambert saw an opportunity to profit by selling early copies of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to the media, more than a month ahead of its scheduled launch.
Lambert, who had access to the books due to his job as a security guard at a warehouse, stole two out of the ten million copies being stored there. He then reached out to reporters from Daily Mirror and Sun to negotiate deals totaling £80,000 (US$111,250).
One reporter, John Askill, arranged to meet Lambert but had secretly planned to steal and return the books to J.K. Rowling. However, when Askill attempted this, Lambert pulled a fake gun, prompting the police to arrive and arrest him.
After being granted bail, Lambert attempted to blackmail the publishers, but he was quickly arrested again and sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison for theft, firearm offenses, and blackmail.
2. Right To Read
When releasing a highly awaited book like a new Harry Potter novel, keeping the storyline under wraps is critical. So, when 14 copies of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince were inadvertently sold in Canada before the official release date, J.K. Rowling and her legal team quickly took action. However, their legal focus wasn’t on the store that sold the books by mistake, but rather on the fans who had purchased them.
The Supreme Court of British Columbia swiftly issued an order that forbade anyone who had bought the book from selling, displaying, or even reading it before the authorized release date. This sparked a significant public discussion about the concept of the 'right to read.' One side argued that, similar to a personal diary, individuals should not be allowed to read something not obtained legally, while the other side claimed that courts have no right to prevent people from reading what they already own.
A similar incident occurred during the release of the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, when two distributors mistakenly sent out some copies ahead of time. In both instances, no punitive damages were sought.
1. Asda vs. Bloomsbury
The key to success in business is offering a product or service that consumers want, which makes stocking the final Harry Potter book an obvious choice. However, the second most important rule is to make a profit. So when supermarket chain Asda decided to sell their 500,000 copies at £8.97 instead of the recommended retail price of £17.99, things took a dramatic turn.
In a fierce press release, Asda accused the book's publisher, Bloomsbury, of 'holding children to ransom.' Bloomsbury responded by warning Asda of potential libel charges. Then, just days before the book’s release, Bloomsbury took an unexpected step unrelated to Asda’s press release or pricing, canceling the order due to unpaid bills reportedly amounting to £38,000.
Asda fired back, claiming that Bloomsbury owed them £122,000. But with the release of one of the most anticipated books in years just around the corner, Asda returned, humbled and apologetic. They not only settled their debts but also issued an 'unreserved' apology, and the two companies made amends.
