yet another reminder that harry potter isn't literature. note to would be harry scholars. the author will sue you!!! hahahahahaahahahah! go count your money J.K.

Bill, Bologne, U.S.

Times, I do love you, but I think you mean [TM] and not (c). You can't copyright an individual word or phrase. fascinating etymologial editorial, otherwise, though!

heidi, miami beach, florida

If it were simply a question of attempting to protect naff neologisms, Ms Rowling would have no moral case -- nor probably would her lawyers have suggested she had a legal one. The claim to be judged in court seems to be double: 1) that far more than single words or phrases were being "borrowed" for the Potter encyclopedia; and 2) that it might be one thing to permit a fan-based online free-for-all kaffeeklatsch, but that it was something else if the whole thing were transferred into print (without, one gathers, any uplift in the degree of copyediting) and a price put on it.
Intellectual copyright, and traditional copyright, are in transition; but I admit to a small demur when people complain that they are unable to take other people's work for free and then charge for its use.

John Clute, London, UK

Er... Yeah, what she said.

Tyler Durden, NYC, NY State

Come now, the author is not primarily complaining about the use of words that she has coined but of the wholesale theft of large chunks of her prose which have been copied and pasted into an unofficial "lexicon" (aka readers guide, aka nothing of significant value) under the spurious argument of "fair use".

Surely, the author and originator of a fantasy world of her creating might consider it her prerogative to return to that world as the subject of future works in search of future profits. They did not produce these works of fiction solely so that others might paracitise the idea, add details in the margins and generally try and make into something new. At least not within the terms of protection offered by the copywright they hold over the material.

Bob, Reading,

Bravo, sir. I've lost what little respect I had for Ms. Rowling (and I'm a Potter fan) by her and her legal team's antics on this case. Emotional manipulation should not win her this case.

Nia, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion