RDR Drops Rowling Appeal; Has New Book
By John A. Sellers and Jim Milliot -- Publishers Weekly, 12/5/2008 7:56:00 AM
Just weeks after submitting an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals, RDR Books has withdrawn its challenge to Judge Robert P. Patterson’s September ruling in J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. Entertainment’s copyright infringement suit against the publisher. Judge Patterson’s ruling blocked RDR’s planned publication of The Harry Potter Lexicon by Steven Vander Ark. Instead, the company has announced plans to release a new unauthorized guide to the Potter series, The Lexicon: An Unauthorized Guide to Harry Potter Fiction and Related Materials. The book will include commentary that does not appear on Vander Ark’s Web site. RDR publisher Roger Rapoport said the new book “has a new focus and purpose, mindful of the guidelines of the court.” The $24.95 trade paperback is set to be released January 12
Commenting on RDR's actions, Neil Blair, Rowling's attorney, said, “We are delighted that this matter is finally and favourably resolved and that J.K. Rowling’s rights—and indeed the rights of all authors of creative works—have been protected. We are also pleased to hear that rather than continue to litigate, RDR have themselves decided to publish a different book prepared with reference to Judge Patterson’s decision.”
Rapoport said the company decided to drop the appeal "because we are publishing a different manuscript that is a lot better." He emphasized that the new book, which features material from Vander Ark's original Web site www.hp-lexicon.org, new commentary and a blend of material, "followed the road map" the judge laid out in his opinion about how a companion to the Potter books may be published without infringing Rowling's copyright. "We did what the judge told us to do," Rapoport said.
Vander Ark said he has been spending the last six months adding much more commentary about plot lines, characters and other elements in the books. "I think Harry Potter fans will find this useful and interesting, and I also think it will bring them back to the novels," he said. RDR has begun setting up a tour for Vander Ark, who has already been a speaker at conferences around the world. A tentative first printing of 10,000 copies for The Lexicon has been set.
