Soo the court hearings between J.K. Rowling and RDR Books has started (yesterday actually). Mugglenet and The Leaky Cauldron both have news releases and links with up to date news regarding the trial.
From what I read yesterday, and in the months leading up to this, the case is really about authorship and copyright. Yesterday, in one of the articles, on Mugglenet (which I think was a link to the Wall Street Journal), JKR was quoted as saying (and i'm going to paraphrase here) that if RDR is permitted to publish their book, it will have a negative effect on authors and well-meaning fans. This relates to the post I did a while back about this case and authorship, because we were talking about authorship in class at the time. But not only is the idea of authorship at stake here, but copyright issues overall.
Right now, as JKR has also stated in those articles (you can read them, I just don't want to keep linking or quoting from the same page over and over again), that there are books in various languages that criticize or analyze harry potter, and those she's got no issue with. The ones I know of, and have probably mentioned are Mugglenet's What Will Happen in Harry Potter 7, The Great Snape Debate, and Who Killed Albus Dumbledore. But I'm sure there are tons more, there is even a book called Finding God In Harry Potter. So, as an author, to have allowed these books, it can be guessed that she isn't out to stop everyone and anyone from commenting or analyzing her work. Where she draws the line is directly using her work, practically word for word, without adding to it, or offering any kind of extra substance, and then selling it for profit. Personally, I don't think RDR Books or Steve Vander Ark have a leg to stand on. Without Harry Potter (without JKR) there would be no hp-lexicon.org (Harry Potter Lexicon website), therefore no print version of said website would have need to exist.
I can understand how a win for the publishing company would be a bad thing for authors and fans. Authors would have to guard their copyrights and not allow any kind of unauthorized use of them. That would mean no fan sites. No fan books. Probably no fan fiction. Suddenly the world where reading has become interactive and fun, there is the possibility that it could become quite lonely and boring. Websites like the 2 listed above have staffs that are fans first, and want to meet other fans, offer themselves as people for others to converse with about these books. They are respectful of the author, and in return have had many opportunities that most fans don't get - such as visiting movie sets, interviewing the author, book release information and the ability to host a live podcast at such releases or openings. And those that have the opportunity don't flaunt it, they share it with the rest of us who aren't as lucky. I listen to the podcasts associated with the sites linked above. They have more to lose as fans, and as fandom persons, than I do (personally, that is). Those websites wouldn't be able to exist, the podcasts might have to watch what they say, all that time put in would be wasted. This can't happen. I am fully behind J.K. Rolling and hope for a win, because I know, as well as she's stated, its not just a win for her, but for authors and fans everywhere.
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