[HPforGrownups] Re: J.K.Rowling & The Legend of Rah and the Muggles

[B.K. DeLong]

No: HPFGUIDX 14485

At 06:09 PM 03/16/2001 +0000, you wrote:
>I don't know if there's any minimum use "in commerce" to secure
>trademark rights, but how about this more common-sense argument: Does
>the success of the Harry Potter series, one of the publishing phenoms
>of all time, depend in any way at all on the use of the Potter names,
>the word "muggle", or any other word? If his name was anything else I
>can't imagine it would make any difference.  Between Ms. Stouffer's
>books and the Potter series, the characters aren't alike and the
>plotlines of the books aren't alike.

Agreed. And Even though Warner Bros. has trademarks for Muggles they 
haven't issued a single product centered around it.

>Why would JKR imperil all her original
>work to steal such inconsequential elements?

Also, I believe Time Warner's lawyers would have done EXTENSIVE due 
diligence before purchasing trademark rights. The fact that this may have 
not showed up on their radar leaves me suspicious.

>And is Ms. Stouffer going to sue the Yeomen of the Guard at the Tower
>of London? They have a "Keeper of the Keys" as well: "Who goes
>there?" "The Keys!" "Whose keys?" "Queen Elizabeth's Keys!"

Not only that but "Mug" is British slang for someone who "doesn't get it." 
How do we know Rowling didn't come up with Mugblood before "Muggle" ?

Boggles.

--
B.K. DeLong
bkdelong at pobox.com
617.877.3271

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