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In lugnet.castle, Jonathan Lill writes:
> There is a difference between these two occurences. The Harry Potter lawsuit
> is over the fact that both books use the term "muggles" though to mean
> different things. Also there is a character in suer's book named Larry
> Potter but he in no other way resembles Harry Potter. As far as I know that
> is where the resemblance ends and it sounds purely accidental and in no way
> actionable.
Not sure about this--here's a snippet culled from the ABC News site
(excerpted here for purposes of review and discussion and intending no
challenge to the copyright status of that fine site!)
"Both books have characters known as Muggles. They are non-wizards in the
Rowling books, but in Stouffer's book they use magic to transform their dark
homeland into a happy place."
Does "Muggle" have precedence before Stouffer? If so, then obviously she
can claim no exclusive authorship of the name. If not, then she has a case,
regardless of Rowling's different use of the term. Still, if I make "Ronald
McDonald" my Scottish-themed restaurant's mascot, claiming that the name
existed before the Golden Arches grabbed it, do you think I wouldn't be sued?
"There is also a character called Lilly Potter in both books. In Rowling's
books, Lily, with one L, is Harry's mother. In Stouffer's, Lilly is Larry's
cousin."
This is at the very least a weird coincidence, though I don't think either
writer could claim copyright of a mundane, real-world name like this.
Nonetheless, if one perceives one's copyright to have been pirated, odd
similarities like this don't make one less inclined to pursue litigation.
"Stouffer says her rights to her characters, especially "Muggles," have been
hijacked and superceded crushed by the weight of promotion of the Harry
Potter characters, which invalidated her own characters, even though her
work predates Rowling's by 10 years or more."
This is probably the most important point. The copyrighted existence of
intellectual properties a full decade before one's competitor would seem
significant when one is seeking compensation from that competitor.
Dave!
I'm not a lawyer, but I've seen one played on TV.
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Message has 2 Replies: ![](/news/x.gif) | | Re: Disney actually did this with "Lion King"
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| In lugnet.castle, Dave Schuler writes: <snip> (...) <snip> (...) Funny you mention this, i remember seeing a story on a news show (dateline?)that there was a resturant named McDonalds, I think in Scotland, that is a very fancy, high class place. And (...) (23 years ago, 22-Mar-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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Message is in Reply To:
![](/news/x.gif) | | Re: Disney actually did this with "Lion King"
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| (...) There is a difference between these two occurences. The Harry Potter lawsuit is over the fact that both books use the term "muggles" though to mean different things. Also there is a character in suer's book named Larry Potter but he in no (...) (23 years ago, 22-Mar-01, to lugnet.castle)
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62 Messages in This Thread: ![Harry Potter? -Dave Schuler (21-Mar-01 to lugnet.castle)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/246.gif) ![Re: Harry Potter? -Bruce Schlickbernd (21-Mar-01 to lugnet.castle)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/246.gif) ![Re: Harry Potter? -Richard Marchetti (21-Mar-01 to lugnet.castle)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/246.gif) ![Re: Harry Potter? -Richard Marchetti (21-Mar-01 to lugnet.castle)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/246.gif) ![Re: Harry Potter? -James Simpson (21-Mar-01 to lugnet.castle)](/news/x.gif)
![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/28.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/28.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/28.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/68.gif) ![Re: Harry Potter? -Andrew Weiner (21-Mar-01 to lugnet.castle)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/246.gif) ![Re: Harry Potter (um, very loosely) -Mark James (21-Mar-01 to lugnet.castle)](/news/x.gif)
![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/28.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/28.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/28.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/68.gif) ![Re: Harry Potter? -Aaron West (22-Mar-01 to lugnet.castle)](/news/x.gif)
![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/28.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/28.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/68.gif) ![Re: Harry Potter? -Bruce Schlickbernd (21-Mar-01 to lugnet.castle)](/news/x.gif)
![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/28.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/268.gif) ![Re: Harry Potter? -Dave Schuler (21-Mar-01 to lugnet.castle)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/46.gif) ![Re: Harry Potter? -Bruce Schlickbernd (21-Mar-01 to lugnet.castle)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/46.gif) ![Re: Harry Potter? -Dave Schuler (21-Mar-01 to lugnet.castle)](/news/x.gif)
![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/28.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/68.gif) ![Re: Harry Potter? -Frank Filz (22-Mar-01 to lugnet.castle)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/246.gif) ![Re: Harry Potter? -Richard Noeckel (22-Mar-01 to lugnet.castle)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/46.gif) ![Re: Harry Potter? -Erik Olson (22-Mar-01 to lugnet.castle)](/news/x.gif)
![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/28.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/68.gif) ![Re: Harry Potter? -Bruce Schlickbernd (22-Mar-01 to lugnet.castle)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/46.gif) ![Re: Harry Potter? -Frank Filz (22-Mar-01 to lugnet.castle, lugnet.off-topic.fun)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/46.gif) ![Re: Harry Potter? -Bruce Schlickbernd (22-Mar-01 to lugnet.off-topic.fun)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/46.gif) ![Re: Harry Potter? -Frank Filz (22-Mar-01 to lugnet.off-topic.fun)](/news/x.gif)
![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/268.gif) ![Re: Harry Potter? -James Simpson (21-Mar-01 to lugnet.castle)](/news/x.gif)
![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/268.gif) ![Re: Harry Potter? -Mark James (21-Mar-01 to lugnet.castle)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/246.gif) ![Re: Harry Potter? -Dave Schuler (21-Mar-01 to lugnet.castle)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/246.gif) ![Re: Harry Potter? -Mark James (21-Mar-01 to lugnet.castle)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/46.gif) ![Re: Harry Potter? -Dave Schuler (21-Mar-01 to lugnet.castle)](/news/x.gif)
![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/28.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/28.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/68.gif) ![Re: Harry Potter? -Bruce Schlickbernd (21-Mar-01 to lugnet.castle)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/246.gif) ![Re: Harry Potter? -Dave Schuler (21-Mar-01 to lugnet.castle)](/news/x.gif)
![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/28.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/28.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/68.gif) ![Re: Harry Potter? -Dave Schuler (22-Mar-01 to lugnet.castle)](/news/x.gif)
![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/28.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/68.gif) ![Plagarism in Fantasy Novels? (was Re: Harry Potter?) -Thomas Garrison (21-Mar-01 to lugnet.castle, lugnet.off-topic.debate)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/246.gif) ![Re: Plagarism in Fantasy Novels? (was Re: Harry Potter?) -James Stacey (21-Mar-01 to lugnet.off-topic.debate)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/246.gif) ![Re: Plagarism in Fantasy Novels? (was Re: Harry Potter?) -Bruce Schlickbernd (21-Mar-01 to lugnet.off-topic.debate)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/246.gif) ![Re: Plagarism in Fantasy Novels? (was Re: Harry Potter?) -Christopher L. Weeks (21-Mar-01 to lugnet.off-topic.debate)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/46.gif) ![Re: Plagarism in Fantasy Novels? (was Re: Harry Potter?) -Bruce Schlickbernd (21-Mar-01 to lugnet.off-topic.debate)](/news/x.gif)
![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/28.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/28.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/28.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/268.gif) ![Re: Plagarism in Fantasy Novels? (was Re: Harry Potter?) -Dave Schuler (21-Mar-01 to lugnet.off-topic.debate)](/news/x.gif)
![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/28.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/28.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/28.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/68.gif) ![Re: Plagarism in Fantasy Novels? (was Re: Harry Potter?) -Frank Filz (22-Mar-01 to lugnet.off-topic.debate)](/news/x.gif)
![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/28.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/28.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/68.gif) ![Re: Plagarism in Fantasy Novels? (was Re: Harry Potter?) -Lindsay Frederick Braun (22-Mar-01 to lugnet.off-topic.debate)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/46.gif) ![Re: Plagarism in Fantasy Novels? (was Re: Harry Potter?) -Bruce Schlickbernd (22-Mar-01 to lugnet.off-topic.debate)](/news/x.gif)
![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/28.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/268.gif) ![Re: Plagarism in Fantasy Novels? (was Re: Harry Potter?) -Dave Schuler (21-Mar-01 to lugnet.off-topic.debate)](/news/x.gif)
![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/28.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/268.gif) ![Re: Plagarism in Fantasy Novels? (was Re: Harry Potter?) -Mark James (21-Mar-01 to lugnet.off-topic.debate)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/46.gif) ![Re: Plagarism in Fantasy Novels? (was Re: Harry Potter?) -Bruce Schlickbernd (21-Mar-01 to lugnet.off-topic.debate)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/46.gif) ![Re: Plagarism in Fantasy Novels? (was Re: Harry Potter?) -Jeremy H. Sproat (21-Mar-01 to lugnet.off-topic.debate)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/46.gif) ![Re: Plagarism in Fantasy Novels? (was Re: Harry Potter?) -Bruce Schlickbernd (21-Mar-01 to lugnet.off-topic.debate)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/46.gif) ![Re: Plagarism in Fantasy Novels? (was Re: Harry Potter?) -Jeremy H. Sproat (22-Mar-01 to lugnet.off-topic.debate)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/46.gif) ![Re: Plagarism in Fantasy Novels? (was Re: Harry Potter?) -Bruce Schlickbernd (22-Mar-01 to lugnet.off-topic.debate)](/news/x.gif)
![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/28.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/68.gif) ![Re: Plagarism in Fantasy Novels? (was Re: Harry Potter?) -Bruce Schlickbernd (21-Mar-01 to lugnet.off-topic.debate)](/news/x.gif)
![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/68.gif) ![Disney actually did this with "Lion King" -David Simmons (22-Mar-01 to lugnet.castle)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/246.gif) ![Re: Disney actually did this with "Lion King" -Jonathan Lill (22-Mar-01 to lugnet.castle)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/246.gif) ![Re: Disney actually did this with "Lion King" -Eric Joslin (22-Mar-01 to lugnet.castle)](/news/x.gif)
![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/28.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/268.gif) ![You are here](/news/here.gif) ![](/news/246.gif) ![Re: Disney actually did this with "Lion King" -Mark Papenfuss (22-Mar-01 to lugnet.off-topic.debate)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/46.gif) ![Re: Disney actually did this with "Lion King" -Sean Forbes (22-Mar-01 to lugnet.off-topic.debate)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/46.gif) ![Re: Disney actually did this with "Lion King" -Peter White (22-Mar-01 to lugnet.off-topic.debate)](/news/x.gif)
![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/28.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/28.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/68.gif) ![Re: Disney actually did this with "Lion King" -Jason Maxwell (22-Mar-01 to lugnet.off-topic.debate)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/46.gif) ![Re: Disney actually did this with "Lion King" -Dave Schuler (22-Mar-01 to lugnet.off-topic.debate)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/46.gif) ![Re: What's in a name? ( Potter, Plagiarism, and Trademark) -Bruce Schlickbernd (22-Mar-01 to lugnet.off-topic.debate)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/46.gif) ![Re: What's in a name? ( Potter, Plagiarism, and Trademark) -Dave Schuler (22-Mar-01 to lugnet.off-topic.debate)](/news/x.gif)
![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/28.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/68.gif) ![Re: Disney actually did this with "Lion King" -Jeff Stembel (23-Mar-01 to lugnet.castle, lugnet.off-topic.debate)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/46.gif) ![Re: Disney actually did this with "Lion King" -Jonathan Lill (23-Mar-01 to lugnet.off-topic.debate)](/news/x.gif)
![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/268.gif) ![Re: Disney actually did this with "Lion King" -Bruce Schlickbernd (22-Mar-01 to lugnet.castle)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/46.gif) ![Re: Disney actually did this with "Lion King" -Dave Schuler (22-Mar-01 to lugnet.castle)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/46.gif) ![Re: Disney actually did this with "Lion King" -Bruce Schlickbernd (22-Mar-01 to lugnet.off-topic.debate)](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/46.gif) ![Re: Disney actually did this with "Lion King" -Dave Schuler (22-Mar-01 to lugnet.off-topic.debate)](/news/x.gif)
![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/x.gif) ![](/news/68.gif) ![Re: Disney actually did this with "Lion King" -Dylan Reardon (29-Mar-01 to lugnet.castle)](/news/x.gif)
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