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JUNE 15, 2009 at 1:10 PM
Posted by CHEESER
Source: PR Newswire
The estate of author Adrian Jacobs sued Bloomsbury today for lifting storylines and events from his Willy the Wizard series in JK Rowling's Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire:
[In] 1987 Adrian Jacobs wrote the book The Adventures of Willy the Wizard-No 1 Livid Land, which describes the adventures of a wizard named Willy. The copyright allegation argues that the plot of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, published in 2000 and one of J.K. Rowling's best-selling books, is a copy of that to be found in Jacobs' book.
It is also alleged that Jacobs "sought the services" of Christopher Little for help finding a publisher, who became Rowling's literary agent a decade later.
The estate's press release goes on to say:
Both books describe the adventures of a main character, "Willy" in Jacobs' book and "Harry Potter" in Rowling's, who are wizards, who compete in a wizard contest which they ultimately win. Both Willy and Harry are required to work out the exact nature of the main task of the contest which they both achieve in a bathroom assisted by clues from helpers, in order to discover how to rescue human hostages imprisoned by a community of half-human, half-animal fantasy creatures, "the merpeople" in Harry Potter.
Jacobs can also claim credit for the idea of wizards traveling by train, according to the estate.
He died in 1997, although it's unclear if Jacobs was aware of the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by Bloomsbury that July, or if he even read it.
Representatives for Bloomsbury Publishing Plc told HPANA today:
...this claim is without merit and will be defended vigorously. The allegations of plagiarism made today, 15 June 2009, by the Estate of Adrian Jacobs are unfounded, unsubstantiated and untrue.
JK Rowling had never heard of Adrian Jacobs nor seen, read or heard of his book Willy the Wizard until this claim was first made in 2004 -- almost seven years after the publication of the first book in the highly publicised Harry Potter series and after the publication of the first five books.
Willy the Wizard is a very insubstantial booklet running to 36 pages which had very limited distribution. The central character of Willy the Wizard is not a young wizard and the book does not revolve around a wizard school.
This claim was first made in 2004 by solicitors in London acting on behalf of Adrian Jacobs' son who was the representative of his father's estate and who lives in the United States. The claim was unable to identify any text in the Harry Potter books which was said to copy Willy the Wizard.
The Bloomsbury response then digs quite a bit deeper:
The claim was largely based on the work of a man called David Markson who had been sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on 4 December 1989 to five years imprisonment for fraudulent trading and theft. He was also disqualified from acting as a company director for 15 years. David Markson is now said to be the literary agent of Adrian Jacob's estate and his brother Max Markson is handling the publicity for the estate in this case.
Following correspondence between lawyers over a period of three months in 2004 rejecting this claim, no more was heard about the claim until a new set of solicitors put forward the claim on a significantly different basis four years later in 2008 (eleven years after the publication of the first Harry Potter book) but still without identifying any text said to copy Willy the Wizard. These lawyers have stated that they are acting on behalf of a firm of solicitors in Wagga Wagga, Australia and on behalf of a West Midlands property developer who was appointed in 2008 as Trustee of the Estate in order to bring this claim. The claim is now made in respect of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, which was published in 2000.
Adrian Jacobs was described in his 1989 bankruptcy petition as "an entrepreneur, financial and corporate consultant". Writing was very much a sideline and his book was of a very poor quality. He went bankrupt owing hundreds of thousands of pounds in 1960, 1965 and 1989.
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Order of Merlin, 1st Class
Points: 1823
Veela_gurl says:
Wow. Sounds like they will have a legal fight on their hands. I just hope the truth will come out and all parties will be satisfied. I just don't see Rowling plagarizing a short story for GOF. I hope it all works out.
Posted Jun 15, 2009 at 1:42 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 1st Class
Points: 1823
Veela_gurl says:
Sorry for the double post, but you can't edit on the news page. I just went to willythewizard.com, and it does look as thought the ideas are the same. There is a section on snake language, wizard chess, hospitals and prisons. It is probably just coincidence or may have been put up after the lawsuit was filed. Just a really interesting story.
Posted Jun 15, 2009 at 1:45 PM EST
Keeper of the Faeries
Points: 5239
juliebug04 says:
And, they're just NOW filing a suit...WHAT EVER...
Good grief. That is so not worth their time. As big of a phenomenon as HP has been, and no one has really pursued this before now, is proof to me that this is completely bogus, and the solicitors that filed it should lose their license. The article states that a few other inquiries were made, but those were squashed, as I'm sure this will be. Unfortunately, money will have to be spent to do it. Ridiculous...
Posted Jun 15, 2009 at 2:09 PM EST
Delusional Army Soldier
Points: 4393
ILoveHP! says:
Another set of law suits? argh. These people just want attention... and they're getting it
Posted Jun 15, 2009 at 2:17 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 1st Class
Points: 1986
Phil Haney says:
Obviously, I don't have the facts of the case.
However, an incident comes to mind of a few years ago where a famous American television journalist produced a letter that was supposed to have been written at some time in the past by our, then, President which put that President in a very poor light. Thanks to the blogosphere, it was proven that the font used to compose that letter wasn't in existance at the time the letter was written. The journalist resigned his post in shame, but some damage was still done.
I personally don't believe JK Rowling would lift anything from "a very insubstantial booklet running to 36 pages which had very limited distribution."
I may be wrong, but I personally do believe that this is the work of a shyster trying at most to get rich off the work of others, and at the least, trying to get money by raising interest (and sales) of said insubstantial booklet which, I believe, was written by "an entrepreneur, financial and corporate consultant", whose "writing was very much a sideline and ... was of a very poor quality."
This post is entirely my opinion, and is based soley on my love of the Harry Potter series of books and movies, and what I read in the news article above.
-Phil
"Quini, quidi, quici" - I came, I saw, I played a little quidditch.
Posted Jun 15, 2009 at 2:23 PM EST
Prefect
Points: 399
Mckenzy says:
Um... to be honest, what does it matter if the bloke who wrote "Willy the wizard" is dead? Does he care? No.
This is just money grabbing attention seeking laywers at their best.
Posted Jun 15, 2009 at 2:51 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 4th Class
Points: 1224
-che- says:
I think its just these guys trying to scrape some money, oportunists... its just that i dont like the poor author (even if he WAS kinda mediocre) being thrashed.. the poor guy's dead, and here they are, taking advantage of his work to see if they can get some money buy twisting laws and working with loop-holes...
some people will just do anything so as to not do an honest days work...
Posted Jun 15, 2009 at 2:56 PM EST
Keeper of Harry's Fate
Points: 8909
TheOneWhoMustBeNamed says:
Probably won't go to far. Hard for them to show that JKR was in any way involved or saw the material. My guess is they want publicity to possibly sell some of their books or to get some payoff. Very sad.
Posted Jun 15, 2009 at 3:53 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 2nd Class
Points: 1780
TheOtherMinister says:
I thought the world knew by now not to mess with Harry Potter. Harry Potter and JKR always win.
Posted Jun 15, 2009 at 3:58 PM EST
Mrs. Draco Malfoy
Points: 27754
Arika Granger Malfoy says:
Wow, how dumb
Harry Potter is obviously going to win though....I mean that makes no sense at all...
people *rolls eyes*
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Posted Jun 15, 2009 at 10:47 PM EST
Head Girl
Points: 480
mrsharrypotter4500 says:
I highly doubt that willy is going to win this. Why would they just now bring this up? and is sounds like its not that popular anyway. All these lawsuits are starting to get old.
Posted Jun 16, 2009 at 1:19 AM EST
I Am Queen of My Castle
Points: 3638
Hecate3fold says:
What a scam! I'm sure this was all designed to bring the book into the public so those who are curious enough will rush out and buy the Willy book to compare plots.
I certainly hope that Harry Potter fans are wise enough not to be pulled into, what seems to me, an under handed way of publisizing a forgotten book.
Posted Jun 16, 2009 at 2:25 AM EST
Friendly Deaf Angel
Points: 5155
Friendly Deaf Angel says:
Those peopel know..that the Wold of Harry Potter is only by Jo. and that Jo always wins..they are going to lose just like the other people that wanted more then they barging for..
Posted Jun 16, 2009 at 3:02 AM EST
Professor
Points: 1102
Fire Phoenix says:
@ Veela_gurl I just checked the website, it is infact true that there are similarities between the two books. But It's also fact that this website has as far as I was able to discern been created on 30 September 2008. So, it is highly questionable if it really represents the true facts.
I think it is possible that there were ideas of the same kind but I can't believe that it is a plagiarism. Since HP is throughly consistent and the world of HP is created with much detail it is nearly impossible that this is based on a book with 36 pages, which after all wasn't published widely.
I just hope that truth will be found.
Posted Jun 16, 2009 at 3:59 AM EST
Auror
Points: 2200
HalfBloodCountess says:
*snort*
Well, if you're going to engage in a legal fight over the magical world of Harry, then it's a good choice to select your solicitors in Wagga Wagga!
Posted Jun 16, 2009 at 4:43 AM EST
Furry Little Problem
Points: 4275
Juicybit says:
Oh this is ridiculous. People do get the same ideas sometimes, you know. Like as a kid I read a great book about a wizard boy who went to a wizarding school... probably a bunch of similaritites could be found if compared to HP. It was written in the early 80s (I think) by a Hungarian author and I doubt it was ever translated into any foreign language. Or look at all those romance stories where a guy and a girl fall in love, overcome the difficulties and happily end up together - I bet there are loads of similar plotlines around. They could all sue, couldn't they?
Posted Jun 16, 2009 at 5:23 AM EST
Auror
Points: 2283
HP&MJ says:
Another vexatious law suit. I'm glad they're fighting it. I'd bet my bottom dollar they're hoping for an out-of-court settlement.
Posted Jun 16, 2009 at 7:45 AM EST
Prefect
Points: 365
Big_D says:
Its been like nine years since gof came out and they are just sueing now? What the heck. I am glad they are fighting!
Posted Jun 16, 2009 at 11:19 AM EST
Witch
Points: 734
Fantasy Lover says:
That's a pretty dumb thing to do right now. Goblet of Fire book was published and publicized in 2000. Why the hell does the people sueing in 2009? Too late. The author's dead. So the people sueing have no life. I mean, did they just realized now? *roll eyes*.
Posted Jun 16, 2009 at 11:38 AM EST
Auror
Points: 3647
Anastasia Popovick says:
Well, I'm sure if there is any connection found, it was purely coincidence. Knowing JK and her integrity...she'll do what is right no matter what is decided. Good luck with the courts.
Posted Jun 16, 2009 at 11:52 AM EST
Professor
Points: 1063
Ginny511 says:
What..are...they..thinking.
JK is one of the worlds most powerful people. AND you cannot go against her..even if the books have similaritys these people are just doing this for attention because HBP is coming out in a mounth. You cannot win so do not try.
Posted Jun 16, 2009 at 12:30 PM EST
Chief Brain Washer
Points: 2874
Chogiiiirl says:
Sounds like some greedy family members/lawyers are working overtime to get some money out of Jo!
Posted Jun 16, 2009 at 3:56 PM EST
Prefect
Points: 376
sugarcake says:
So they're saying Adrian Jacobs "invented" the idea of wizards traveling by train? So no fantasy author can ever write about wizards on a train? Come on, authors are bound to end up writing about similar ideas, it doesn't mean they're copying each other, it just means they live in the same world and are both getting their ideas from that.
Posted Jun 16, 2009 at 5:25 PM EST
Dancing in the Rain
Points: 3118
~*harry's girl*~ says:
It's funny when people think they can sue JKR....
Posted Jun 16, 2009 at 6:27 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 3rd Class
Points: 1433
Brianna Huckpuck says:
Just another person trying to ride on JK Rowling's wave.
If they lose the case, they'll try dressing someone up as Harry Potter and saying that JK was influenced by him!
Posted Jun 16, 2009 at 6:33 PM EST
Student
Points: 289
angelmercysavior says:
This is bad.
One person gets a great idea, it gets turned into a movie and now when the whole series is almost, they want to sue!? The author is dead, I really don't think he is going care anymore. This would be probably be worse if he were still alive and why did they wait for so long??? Hello, series is OVER!!! Part 1 of Deathly Hallows is filming and HBP is not even in theaters yet...Get over it and live on with your lives. IT'S OVER, I TELL YOU, OVER!!! Leave Rowling alone, she did not do anything to anybody.
Posted Jun 16, 2009 at 7:37 PM EST
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