Peace in our time - Rowling wins lawsuit

[CaptainCanada]

News

I recall a lot of discussion about what the implications of her losing could mean to a lot of the fan websites, etc. that populate the internet (as well as creator interaction with fans).

False alarm, as it turns out. I used to read the Lexicon frequently; it was a very impressive piece of work, but the guy pushed his luck way over the line.

 

[Pilot Ace]

Agreed. This is a case where I support the copyright claims being made by the holder.

That's a rare thing in this day and age.

 

[Peak]

I still don't see the difference between this and other "unauthorized" guides for a lot of things (ranging från Eragon to Star Trek).

 

[Turtletrekker]

I think the real problem came from the author of this book regurgitating entire blocks of Rowling's prose for his book.

 

[Phillip Culley]

I still don't see the difference between this and other "unauthorized" guides for a lot of things (ranging från Eragon to Star Trek).

Most unauthorised guides are written independently, however refer to the subject matter (such as a TV show programme guide). The contents of this book were solely quotes copied wholesale from Rowling's manuscripts, and then rearranged into an encyclopaedia.

Had this guy written the definitions himself and merely cited whereabouts in the book the definition came from, then I'm not sure Rowling would have had such a strong case.

 

[LaxScrutiny]

Rowling wins copyright suit over Harry Potter encyclopedia

Rowling wins copyright suit over Harry Potter encyclopedia

"While the Lexicon, in its current state, is not a fair use of the Harry Potter works, reference works that share the Lexicon's purpose of aiding readers of literature generally should be encouraged rather than stifled," he said.
He added that he ruled in Rowling's favour because the "Lexicon appropriates too much of Rowling's creative work for its purposes as a reference guide."

I have to say that overall I'm glad this was the ruling.

Rowling was very supportive of fan sites, and if she'd lost this fight, neither she nor any other writers would be so lenient in the future. It would have also redefined "fair use" quite a bit, and while we the fans might enjoy that freedom for a while, it would really the authors in the long run.

Using a fraction of the material as a base for substantial commentary of your own is fair use, kind of like how I'm using part of this news article. Just copying the author's material isn't.

In the long run, now that creators know that their material will be protected even if they allow fan sites to use substantial amounts, this should hopefully loosen them up a bit. I remember a lot of Buffy fan sites getting shut down back in the day, for example. I think this really is in our favour as fans, it just hurts the handful who would try to publish something for profit.