What if she got run over by a truck?

[abigailnus]

No: HPFGUIDX 38503

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "cindysphynx" <cindysphynx at c...> wrote:
> Oh, I think the series will be finished regardless of whether JKR 
> gets run over by a truck and her house burns to the ground, 
> destroying the only copies of her notes.
> 
> Who would finish the series?
> 
> The highest bidder, I fear.
> 
> Man, it would be just awful.  Some hack would be hired to finish the 
> series, with an eye toward Big Box Office rather than fulfilling 
> JKR's vision.  

OK, you do realise that the copyright for all four Harry Potter books, 
and consequently the characters and ideas contained within them are 
in the name of JK Rowling?  And that on the event of her death that 
copyright would still be inviolable for at least another 50 years?  
Which means that anyone who puts out a book about Harry Potter, or 
containing characters, places or ideas from the books will get his ass 
sued off by the holder of the copyright - probably Jessica Rowling.  

Neither Rowling's agent, nor her publisher and certainly not WB have the 
right to put out Harry Potter *books*, and given the financial situation 
Rowling is in, there's no reason to imagine that her heirs could be 
pressured into doing anything they didn't want to do.  Think about it, if 
Rowling's lawyers were as astoundingly stupid as to give WB the rights 
to put out books under the HP name don't you think we would have 
already seen 14 different HP "companion" books?

Repeat after me, people, Warner Brothers does not own Harry Potter, 
Joanne Rowling does, and her heirs will own him on the event of her death.

And finally, can I just say that I find the entire discussion a bit morbid?  
What would happen if JKR were to be run over by a truck is that her husband, 
her daughter and the rest of her family and friends would be heartbroken, 
for the rest of their lives. 

Abigail