[HPFGU-OTChatter] Re: Thoughts from a Different Perspective

[Lee Storm(God Is The Healing Force)]

| Alla:
| 
| I meant that Steve was looking for publisher with the ready 
| manuscript. Are you saying he was not planning on publishing a book 
| at all and RDR approached him and convinced him to do so? This is so 
| contrary to everything that I read that I would like to ask you to 
| link to this information please?

[Lee]:
http://portal.hickorytech.net/news/read.php?id=16080768&ps=1016&cat=&cps=&la
ng=en

It says:
"Vander Ark runs the popular Harry Potter Lexicon Web site, and RDR wants to
publish a print version of
the site and charge $24.95."

Further down the page, the text reads:
"Vander Ark said he initially declined proposals to convert the Web site
into an encyclopedia, in part because he believed until last August that in
book form, it would represent a copyright violation.
After Rowling released the final chapter in the "Harry Potter" series last
July, Vander Ark was contacted by an RDR Books employee, who told him that
publication of the lexicon would not violate copyright law, he said. Still,
to protect himself, Vander Ark said he insisted that RDR Books include a
clause in his contract that
the publisher would defend him and pay any damages that might result from
claims
against him."

The same text can be found on foxnews.com and other sites...I found *many*
duplications.

>From http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080415/ap_en_ot/harry_potter_lawsuit:
"The British author is suing publisher RDR Books for copyright infringement
over its
plans to publish a "Harry Potter Lexicon" based on a Web site created by
Steven Vander Ark, a 50-year-old from
Michigan who counts himself among Rowling's most devoted readers."

Also, same page:
"Vander Ark testified on the second day of a trial in U.S. District Court in
Manhattan that has pitted his publisher, RDR Books, against Rowling and
Warner Bros
., the maker of the Harry Potter films and owner of intellectual property
rights
to the Potter books and movies."

This says to me that Steve is in the middle, here.

And, further, from the same source:
"Vander Ark said the Web site was no money maker - taking in less than
$7,000 in advertising
revenue over its lifetime - and he intended it to be a hobby until he was
approached
last summer by RDR Books Publisher Roger Rapoport about putting out a
printed version.
Vander Ark said he initially was against the idea, partly because he
believed it
would violate copyright law. Even after Rapoport assured him they could
publish legally,
he remained unsure and insisted on a contract clause in which RDR agreed to
take
on costs caused by any copyright lawsuit."

[Alla]:
| Actually, you are right, his instinct may have told him that and 
| there was that e-mail from fan asking whether they could publish 
| encyclopedia mentioned several times and I do not know if it was 
| introduced at trial, but it was mentioned. Have I also read it on 
| Leaky? I may have been.
| 
| And Steve's answer was to the effect that it was illegal, wasn't it?
| 
| And he decides to go and look for publisher of his own anyways.

[Lee]:
As the links and quotes show, *RDR* approached *Steve V.* and not the other
way round.

And, as an aside, I've looked at almost 200 articles which all seem to have
the same text within them.  Hmm--who was *really* the originator? <Big Evil
Grin>

Cheers,

Lee :-)

Do not walk behind me,    | Lee Storm
I may not care to lead;   | N2FGC
Do not walk before me,    | n2fgc at arrl.net (or)
I may not care to follow; | n2fgc at optonline.net
Walk beside me, and be my friend.