Stouffer's Lawsuit ...

[rainy_lilac at yahoo.com]

Original Yahoo! HPFG Header:
No: HPFGUIDX C1957
From: rainy_lilac
Subject: Re: Stouffer's Lawsuit ...
Reply To: [Yahoo! #1953] Re: Stouffer's Lawsuit ...
Date: 6/14/00 11:05 am  (ET)

Add this to the fact that her books were entirely self-published at were
only distributed in her hometown. She never made it into books-in-print,
nor is she registered with the Library of Congress. Also, tradmeark and
copyright are not the same thing-- Rowling was not using the word Muggle
as a tardemark-- she was using it as a word which exists in the English
language. I mean that would be like me trying to lay sole claim for the
use of the word "turnip".

If you read her entire complaint, it gets even worse. She says that the
accusations of promoting witchcraft by conservative religious groups
against Rowling have damaged HER because she uses the word muggles,
and that Rowling should bear financial responsibility for this alleged
"damage". She also says that she has received hate mail from Harry
Potter fans, and that people have said bad things about her on the net,
and that since Rowling has not worked to stop them from doing this,
she is in effect ENCOURAGING them, and is thus responsible. SHe implies
at her site that the Harry Potter books are dangerous and encourage
anti-social behaviour.

This is potentially libelous, and from what I understand, there is very
little chance that this case is going to go anywhere. Alas, the system is
set up so that even the most frivolous claims can get their day in court,
so this will probably go on for as long as Stouffer wishes to waste her
time and everybody else's.