Rowling slams rival Potter book

Updated 10.55 Fri Feb 29 2008

Keywords: book, Harry Potter, JK Rowling

JK Rowling would feel "exploited" if a fan was to publish an unofficial companion to her famous series, she revealed in court papers.

Steve Vander Ark has reportedly written a 400-page reference book called The Harry Potter Lexicon which is based on his popular fan website which is dedicated to the fantasy books.

"I am very frustrated that a former fan has tried to co-opt my work for financial gain" - JK Rowling

But Rowling and Warner Bros, which owns the copyright and trademark rights to the Harry Potter books, are not impressed with the move and are suing RDR Books, which planned to publish the book last November.

In a declaration filed in a US court, the 42-year-old millionaire said: "I am very frustrated that a former fan has tried to co-opt my work for financial gain.

"I believe that RDR's book constitutes a Harry Potter 'rip off' of the type I have spent years trying to prevent, and that both I, as the creator of this world, and fans of Harry Potter, would be exploited by its publication."

Rowling wrote the seven hugely successful Harry Potter novels, which have sold more than 400 million copies worldwide and spawned five blockbuster movies so far.

The lawsuit filed in October names RDR Books, an independent publisher based in Michigan, and unidentified persons as defendants. It seeks to stop publication and requests damages for copyright and federal trademark infringement and any profits to be gained.

Rowling has said she plans to write her own definitive Harry Potter encyclopedia, which would include material that did not make it into the novels, and donate the proceeds to charity.

RDR Books has said Mr Vander Ark, a librarian, had spoken at Harry Potter academic conferences in Britain, Canada and the US and that a timeline he created was used by Warner Bros in DVD releases of the Harry Potter films.

The company and Mr Vander Ark have said the book would only promote the sale of Rowling's work and that Vander Ark's Web site, used by 25 million visitors, had been called "a great site" by Rowling herself.