Potter names

[plinsenmayer at yahoo.com]

Original Yahoo! HPFG Header:
No: HPFGUIDX C766
From: plinsenmayer
Subject: Re: Potter names
Reply To: [Yahoo! #765] Potter names
Date: 3/29/00 11:19 pm  (ET)

Hi:

<I just read an article about the author who is suing Rowling. It seems
that book has muggles, Lilly Potter and Larry Potter. That seems like a
pretty highly improbable combination to happen by random. Taking character
names from another source doesn't strike me as being any big deal. Just
like when we debated whether Hermione came from Shakespeare. Names are
nothing. The story is everything.

Still it is a disquieting thought. >

I've read the complaint at realmuggles.com and really thought it to be a
ludicrous case. The complaint consists of page after page of conjecture
of how JKR *might* have had access to these wholly dissimilar works by
Stouffer. The case is very weak (in my judgment as a lawyer and as an
avid HP fan).

I really liked the official press release response of Scholastic and
JKR -- it was posted on another HP listserve yesterday. If others are
interested, I will cut and paste it onto this message board (but it will
take several messages as it's somewhat longish).

Two of my HP buddies -- who are also both lawyers -- and I were commenting
on what fun it would be to represent Scholastic in this case: scouring
old dictionaries and the like to find all the obscure uses of the term
"muggles" through the ages.

I think the whole thing is just apt evidence that the American propensity
for litigiousness is completely out of hand.

Penny