www.EmploymentCrossing.com “Harry Potter” author and multi-gazillionaire J.K. Rowling has won her copyright infringement lawsuit against a fan who was set to publish a Potter encyclopedia. Rowling and Warner Bros. filed a lawsuit last year to prevent Potter superfan Steve Vander Ark from publishing a book of material from his Harry Potter Lexicon web site. Vander Ark, a school librarian, runs the site, which includes detailed descriptions of characters and events from Rowling’s seven-volume series of childrens’ fantasy novels. Although Rowling had once supported the site, she now claims the prospect of the book’s publication was so distressing, she ceased work on her current novel. The 43-year-old Rowling has made 1.1 billion dollars on the Potter franchise, and is the 12th wealthiest woman in Britain. U.S. District Judge Robert P. Patterson ruled that the “Harry Potter Lexicon” would cause Rowling irreparable harm as a writer. He permanently blocked publication of the book, and awarded Rowling and Warner Bros. a whopping $6,750 in statutory damages. “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,” the judge said.
