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Ada Calhoun

Ada Calhoun

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Ada Calhoun is the editor-in-chief of Babble, a consulting editor at Nerve.com and a frequent contributor to the New York Times Book Review.... read more

J.K. Rowling Sues Fan Over 'Lexicon'

Posted Apr 14th 2008 12:12PM by Ada Calhoun
Filed under: Media, Harry Potter, Legal System

The Telegraph reports that J.K. Rowling is testifying today in New York against a fan named Steve Vander Ark over his book The Harry Potter Lexicon.

The unofficial reference book, based on the author's fan site (which she's on record as loving), was scheduled to be published by RDR Books, a little publisher whose catalog includes As Good As New: A Consumer's Guide to Dental Implants.

On its website, RDR explains its fair-use defense. An excerpt: "J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. are asserting a startling claim," said Anthony Falzone, executive director of the Fair Use Project and counsel on the case. "The right to create literary reference guides like the Lexicon has remained nearly unquestioned for hundreds of years. The Lexicon is a valuable resource that helps people better understand and enjoy the Harry Potter books. It's exactly what copyright law should encourage, not suppress."
But according to J.K. Rowling, as quoted by Reuters, she's been planning to write just such a companion book and is "very frustrated that a former fan has tried to co-opt my work for financial gain." She calls the Lexicon a "rip-off."

We're not really seeing what the problem is with unauthorized literary supplements or biographies or any of that. They're marked "unauthorized." And they just fan the flames of fandom, so why not let the geeks' O.C.D. run wild? It's not like when Rowling's book comes out millions of people are going to opt for this small-press version instead. Half the pages on RDR's website don't even work.

And this legal action seems like a big PR blunder for Rowling. Even if there was lots of money on the line (which there doesn't really seem to be), isn't it sort of unseemly that one of the richest women on the planet, "richer than the queen," as the BBC reminds us, is suing some poor schlub librarian who just happens to be kind of ridiculously obsessed with her books?

UPDATE (4/17): The librarian broke down on the stand and started crying. He sounds like maybe the sweetest person on the planet. Also, as you can see in the photo if you follow the above link, he totally has Harry Potter's haircut.

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