JK Rowling updates fans on Lexicon book situation

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As we told you back on Halloween, JK Rowling and Warner Brothers filed a lawsuit against RDR Books and Lexicon site owner Steve Vander Ark for going through with publication of a Harry Potter encyclopedia. The Harry Potter author has updated her website today with new developments:

As you may have read, on 8 November, 2007 a judge in New York granted an order against RDR Books in respect to the proposed book The Harry Potter Lexicon, such order applying to any proposed licensing of the book worldwide.

Judge Patterson has imposed a restraining order on the publishers of the Lexicon, which will remain in place until February 2008. This means that the book can not be completed, published or marketed until the court has had time to decide whether it would break the law if published in its present form.

I take no pleasure in the fact that publication has been prevented for the present. On the contrary, I feel massively disappointed that this matter had to come to court at all. Despite repeated requests, the publishers have refused to even countenance making any changes to the book to ensure that it does not infringe my rights.

Unless their position changes, we will all return to court next year. Given my past good relations with the Lexicon fansite, I can only feel sad and disillusioned that this is where we have ended up.

We'll keep you updated as more news follows!