Group from India caught trying to outsource Hogwarts. J.K. Rowling sues.

[The Backlash Cometh]

Rowling sues Indian festival for building replica of Hogwarts Castle


Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling is suing organisers of a religious event for constructing a replica of her imaginary Hogwarts Castle in an eastern India city, officials said Thursday.

Rowling and her publishers Bloomsbury are seeking two million rupees (50,000 dollars) from the organisers constructing an elaborate castle from canvas and papier mache in Kolkata for the upcoming Durga Puja festival, court officials said.

The Delhi High Court has summoned the builders on Friday to present their case, they said.

The suit, which runs into 394 pages, argues the organisers of the Hindu festival can stage the upcoming event in the gigantic marquee only after paying two million rupees to the British author.

Rowling's fictitious world depicts the castle as an ancient school of witchcraft where her eponymous hero Harry Potter learns wizardry.

http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Rowling_sues_Indian_festival_for_bu_10112007.html

[rateyes]

1. I loved her books, but the woman has more money than God...

Does she know how far $50,000 goes in India? Sad.

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. Unfortunately, the law requires that you take these things seriously,

or you lose your rights over them.

Remember that. The law teaches us to be hostile in order to protect our property rights.

Besides, if this group has a worthy cause, I'm sure they can hash out a good settlement.

[Sequoia]

3. She should be glad. What's wrong with what their doing, seems like a compliment to me.

Greedy. Most of those Hindus in India are pretty poor...guess she forgot about her poverty days already. Just for that, I will not read any Harry Potter books, watch movies, or buy any nick-nacks, Halloween stuff, etc.

Reminds me of the time when evil Disney Corp. wanted to sue a nursery school because they had painted characters on the wall without "their permission". Warner Bros. heard about it and told the nursery school they can paint Bugs Bunny and Tweety Bird (not Chris Matthews!) on their walls for free. I think they even sent the school the stuff.

[The Backlash Cometh]

5. If you don't like it, help change the property rights laws.

The law won't differentiate between a church or a greedy entrepreneur who will steal her idea for personal profit. So, work to change the law. I'm sure we'll all be better people if we get better direction from the law books.

[varun]

10. Rowling's ancestors got rich off of their "Jewel in the crown"

looted India to fill their coffers.

[The Backlash Cometh]

11. And from South America and Central America.

But that was some 600 years ago, and I'm over it.

[varun]

24. British left India in 1947

60 years ago.

Probably Rowling's dad was in India looting.

[The Backlash Cometh]

27. I wish the British had taken over Latin America.

Maybe Latin Americans would be the ones getting the IT jobs right now?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

33. god thats one sick comment.

its akin to saying its a good thing americans kept slaves, so that the slaves didnt die of povery in africa.

eww.

[The Backlash Cometh]

38. Oh, so you think it was a bed of roses for the Indians in South & Central America?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

41. no, i just dont think it was lucky for us to have 200 years of british rule.

[The Backlash Cometh]

45. Well, I will say this, I give kudos to the Spanish for intermingling

with the natives. I guess, in that way, their influence was less painful.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

51. yes imperialism was a sheer delight

:eyes:

[The Backlash Cometh]

52. I can't say that latin Americans feel the same way about their Spanish

heritage.

But I may know what you mean. When I went on a trip to England and we were on that people mover to see the crown jewels, I actually felt anger well up, and I didn't know from where it came from.

[varun]

42. Eastern Europeans are enjoying an IT boom

and they do not speak English.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

29. Uh...

I think her dad was an airplane mechanic.

It's true that Britain looted India, I think relatively few Britons actually did the looting and profitted from it.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

4. That's fucked up.

[The Backlash Cometh]

6. Most of our property rights laws are fucked up. People just have never

really looked at them closely and understood how they define how incredibly hostile we've become as a people, because of them.

[wuushew]

7. Rowling can burn in hell with the RIAA and others

What a greedy libertarian materialist she is. She never would have penned anything to paper had not the British welfare state supported her sorry ass.

[The Backlash Cometh]

8. Don't blame Rowling for this. If she doesn't establish a foundation

now, she'll lose her rights later.

This is exactly how we lose control over zoning ordinances. If the Planning Board of a city decides to go easy on a zoning ordinance for a church, because its a church, the pattern they establish can be exploited by developers. So whatever concession the planning board did for the church, they must also give to the developer.

It's the same concept. Everybody is going batshit crazy upset because it involves a church. But if Rowling doesn't pursue this lawsuit, and add a few more, then the next guy may be Disney and they can turn around and say that Rowling lost her trademark, because she never protected it.

If you don't like it, work to change our property rights laws.

[Beaverhausen]

50. What the hell kind of comment is that?

Are you at the right place?

[theHandpuppet]

9. Fer Chrissakes, doesn't she have enough money already??

Perhpas she should have written Ferengi novels instead.

[The Backlash Cometh]

12. Not her fault. Property Rights Laws encourage us to be hostile, or there

will be a bigger bastard to come around who will do much worse.

[jpgray]

13. If you license your work, your publisher is going to do these sorts of things

[rucky]

14. She should be flattered...

and thank the festival for the free plug.

[The Backlash Cometh]

15. If the festival organizers were smart, they would have appealed to

her goodness and asked for PERMISSION.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

17. So then why doesn't she just give them permission?

[The Backlash Cometh]

20. Did they even ask?

You and I only have to go by the info in the article. If I were them, I'd write a personal appeal to Rowling to at least lower the amount requested. It really all depends on what already is in the law books as far as how benevolent she can be, and still retain her rights.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

22. They probably didn't think Rowling would be so stupid or greedy.

You are arguing that there's some sort of artifact that is forcing Rowling to sue these poor people for damages in order to protect her larger fortune, OK, I might be willing to accept that. But if that's the case, why not just give permission so that she doesn't have to do it, or settle out of court for some "unspecified damages" of nothing?

[The Backlash Cometh]

23. Sounds like a sensible solution to me.

I just don't know the law well enough to know where the line is drawn.

[rucky]

39. I actually have a bit of experience in the matter...

my wife's store was sued by the studio that made the movie Dirty Dancing, because we were selling a kids' t-shirt that reads "Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner".

After consulting an intellectual property atty, they basically said that the studio had to sue to show they were defending their movie line, because the only law that protects them is not copywright law, but the one that requires them to show they've taken active measures to protect their property. Kind of like putting the recipe for Coke in a vault, but in this case the measure is in the form of a lawsuit that has no legal basis in and of itself - but will establish a pattern that may make their case in the future. Does that make any sense? Me neither.

They also sued the maker of the t-shirt, and in the end, they cut a deal to license the tees fair and square.

[The Backlash Cometh]

46. YOU WIN THE BRASS RING.

That's it exactly. Down to the "Intellectual Property," term that was escaping me.

[Sequoia]

25. Just like they said, they built the Titanic and no one sued.

It's a fake castle anyway, so what's the property involved. Screw her greedy crap, I hope she loses. I'm boycotting all things Harry Potter, not that I cared to read the huge books anyway, she doesn't need my money if she plans to sue the poor Hindus.

[The Backlash Cometh]

31. I couldn't take that comparison seriously. ie. Kleenex, Xerox etc.

Also, because it's been around too long as an icon to get any protection.

There's a legal term which I can't remember that explains the kind of property rights that she's protecting.

[redqueen]

16. That's just sad.

*sigh*

[The Backlash Cometh]

18. Agreed. But if it brings attention to our property rights laws, the good

news is that we can work together to change them, so it will cut down on the need for nice people to be forced to do mean things in order to continue getting the proection of the courts.

[redqueen]

28. Yup... bright side there.

Wait... what are you saying... that *copyright* laws need to be strengthened, or returned to sanity?

[The Backlash Cometh]

32. Returned to sanity.

You shouldn't feel like you have to yell at your neighbor because he planted a bush near your property, in order to protect your property. Things like that.

[redqueen]

34. Still not clear. Do you think she's entitled to compensation for this? n/t

[The Backlash Cometh]

37. Do you really think they give a shit about the money? Puh-lease.

They're probably just trying to satisfy the prongs laid out by previous court cases.

[redqueen]

40. *sigh* All right, then. Do you think that the court should rule in favor

of the property owner?

[The Backlash Cometh]

47. Look at rucky, #39's comment. I think he or she has figured it out.

[redqueen]

53. Thank you!

I get it now. :hi:

*sigh* SO tedious, these things.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

19. i hope she loses. the kolkata durga puja festivals runs for 5 days

and makes temporary structures that resemble important biuldings.

if they think they should sue for this, they should lose.

[The Backlash Cometh]

21. She has no choice. But she will win, unless the courts have a clause

that allows nonprofits to do this kind of thing without fear of reprisal.

We really need to review our property rights laws, because they're all forcing us to become mean sons of bitches, in order to expect protection from the courts, when we really need it.

[Horse with no Name]

26. Thank you for the wonderful explanation.

It makes sense and should keep people from piling on Rowling.

[The Backlash Cometh]

35. I've been trying to figure our why our communities are falling apart,

and I figured out it's because of the property rights laws. It's too close to home for me. Nice people are forced to do mean things, and that's just not the way to build a community, but the courts leave you with no other choice.

[redqueen]

36. There are already property rights laws

which prevent people from putting plants on their neighbors' lawns.

What new laws will make people obey the existing laws, do you think?

[The Backlash Cometh]

43. Where I live, it's a grabfest. People are very serious about stealing

common ground.

What I would like to see is non-profits being allowed a little leeway, if they get a piece of paper that gives them permission to use a copyright.

Or, that you can defend your property as long as you have a piece of paper that defines the boundaries. So if someone plants a bush on it, they can not quick claim it.

Or, that public lands are exempt from the adverse possession laws.

[redqueen]

44. Yes, but you called it stealing, sooo... it's already illegal, yes?

And exemptions for use with prior permission is already observed.

:shrug:

[The Backlash Cometh]

48. I suspect what's happening in my community is very unique.

It is endemic, but I'm praying that it is only happening in this city. I've heard from other local government workers in cities around me, and they have said that my city has its own laws.

As for this thread is concerned, look at the reply #39. That's probably the most well-informed post I've read on the subject so far.

[redqueen]

54. Good luck with the battle there...

and thanks for the info.

:hi:

[Habibi]

30. Thanks for being the voice of reason on this thread.

:toast:

[The Backlash Cometh]

49. No prob.

The more people understand about property rights laws, the faster we can get them changed to really return us back to a kind and gentler nation.