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RDR drops Potter appeal

08.12.08 | Philip Jones

US publisher RDR Books is to publish its Harry Potter Lexicon on 12th January after revising the book to meet the requirements laid out by a judge who ruled the previous version unlawful. The publisher has also abandoned the appeal of that ruling.

Author and Harry Potter enthusiast Steven Vander Ark has added new commentary, which does not appear on the Harry Potter Lexicon website (www.hp-lexicon.org). He told the press: "We learned a lot at the trial about what was acceptable, what would follow the fair use guidelines. That was not clear before. There was no law on the books that made it clear what was acceptable and what wasn't. So, coming out of the trial, I had a much better idea of what should go into the book."

Author J K Rowling and Warner Bros, maker of the Harry Potter films and owner of intellectual property rights to the Potter books and movies, sued RDR Books in 2007 to stop the publication of a similar volume by Vander Ark. A federal judge in New York ruled in favour of Rowling in September, permanently blocking publication of that reference guide. RDR Books appealed the court ruling last month but withdrew the appeal on Thursday.

In the UK Methuen had the rights to the publish the first version. 

• harry potter
• J K Rowling
• Philip Jones
• RDR
• Steven Vander Ark