|
FEBRUARY 5, 2005 at 7:21 PM
Posted by GERI
Source: Sunday Herald
Representatives of JK Rowling and Warner Bros. are investigating possible copyright infringement centering around images HPANA posted last week from an issue of the U.S. Army's official Preventive Maintenance Monthly. The cartoon magazine, distributed to 80,000 army personnel, featured a multi-page parody of "Harry Potter" in the publication's May 2004 issue.
A spokesman for Rowling has confirmed
that they were looking into the matter and that the U.S. Army never approached them or Warner Bros. prior to its release.
According to Ken Crunk, based at Redstone arsenal in Alabama:
"The drawings were done by a contracted artist for us. They do not look like any of the characters from Harry Potter. We are very careful when we do these things not to copy images because that would be illegal. We use them to encourage soldiers to read the mag."
A U.S. Army spokesman added:
"Each issue of the magazine is reviewed by the aviation and missile command legal office. After reviewing this particular issue the legal office concluded that there was nothing done that was impermissible and that the illustrations were clearly in the scope of parody and that, therefore, there was no need to seek permission from JK Rowling."
Reader Comments (292)
Your Thoughts
click to write...
Copyright © 2002-2009 HPANA. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. 
HPANA is an unofficial fan site, in no way affiliated with J.K. Rowling,
Scholastic Books, Bloomsbury Publishing or Warner Bros. Entertainment. All
trademarks and copyrighted material are the property of their respective owners.
About HPANA | Movie 6 | Send a news tip | Contact us | Privacy policy
226-250 251-275 276-292
Order of Merlin, 3rd Class
Points: 1542
Supreme Mugwump says:
Surely if people are not making money from these "spoofs" there is nothing wrong with making fun of it to encourage others. Fair enough if they were making money out of it, but they're not.
Posted Feb 7, 2005 at 9:09 PM EST
Muggle
Points: 55
RockyTop says:
This is craziness. So what is they look like the characters Jo should be honored they would spoof it. I want to see Jo's view on this beacause lets be serious satire isnt illegal not in the US at least and if warner bros and Jo's "representitives" win this then fan fiction might as well bite the dust as well. I'm beside myself with outrage. why would you pick on the soldiers especially in this day and age. I refuse to believe that Jo is backing this beacause one of my role models just went out the window if she is.
Posted Feb 7, 2005 at 10:01 PM EST
Muggle
Points: 55
RockyTop says:
This is craziness. So what is they look like the characters Jo should be honored they would spoof it. I want to see Jo's view on this beacause lets be serious satire isnt illegal not in the US at least and if warner bros and Jo's "representitives" win this then fan fiction might as well bite the dust as well. I'm beside myself with outrage. why would you pick on the soldiers especially in this day and age. I refuse to believe that Jo is backing this beacause one of my role models just went out the window if she is.
Posted Feb 7, 2005 at 10:04 PM EST
Points: 197
Vaeron says:
From an economic standpoint, it would be a bad idea for WB to publicly sue the US Army over Harry Potter right before releasing a Harry Potter movie in the US... People in the States are very sensitive about the armed forces at this particular moment, and the phrase "anti-american" is fairly freely thrown around over the silliest thing these days.
Posted Feb 7, 2005 at 10:29 PM EST
Prefect
Points: 399
muggle21j says:
can they really get in trouble? I mean theyused different names and the pictures aren't the same, and the story either because for example would snape ever call on harry to have him represent what his potions students have acomplished?
Posted Feb 8, 2005 at 12:39 AM EST
Auror
Points: 2185
Potterfan5 says:
I think that it was all in good fun, I don't think they ment any harm by it. I can also see why Jo and WB are doing what they are, like they said, they have strict copyright laws. They didn't exactly portray Harry in the best of lights either.
Posted Feb 8, 2005 at 1:13 AM EST
Witch
Points: 585
MagicAliSomniac says:
You gotta be proud of our US Army... but you gotta think that with something as HUGE as HP thye woulda thought about teh whole copyright infrignement thingy
Posted Feb 8, 2005 at 5:26 AM EST
Witch
Points: 569
HP_Nutter says:
This is pretty stupid. They should not press charges against the mag. if they do they might as well sue all comedians who use harry potter as a punchline.
Posted Feb 8, 2005 at 6:00 AM EST
Witch
Points: 854
HermioneLVZ'Ron says:
I think they did copyright Harry Potter a bit but i dont think a big thing will come of it, all in good fun!
Posted Feb 8, 2005 at 7:01 AM EST
Ron's Love Advisor
Points: 5900
~Sarah~ says:
I think it's kind of stupid to press charges, sure is was a parody of Harry Potter but thats not illegal, lots of mags make paradoy hp. Beside I didn't even find the paroy funny.
Posted Feb 8, 2005 at 9:43 AM EST
Estel's Elvish Princess
Points: 3533
Elanor says:
Wow, I'm glad Jo didn't try to take it any further. That probably would have been to much stress for her on top of the new book.
What would be the point in fighting over this anyways.
It's interesting to see what JKR and her publishers can find just can skimming a couple of fan sites. Too bad for the magazine.
Posted Feb 8, 2005 at 9:49 AM EST
Witch
Points: 913
Molly the Destroyer says:
Oh, I hope this doesn't cause too much of a problem for JKR. Especially with HBP coming out soon and all.
Posted Feb 8, 2005 at 11:10 AM EST
Keeper of the Faeries
Points: 5239
juliebug04 says:
Well, I think it's a little silly, but whatever. I do think that it was obvious what they were poking fun at and that they should ask for permission. But, I also think that it was all in good fun and that the soldiers need something funny. No harm, no foul, in my opinion. It doesn't seem that it was done to earn money per se, just as an instructional tool.
Posted Feb 8, 2005 at 12:25 PM EST
Witch
Points: 707
*HP*4*ever* says:
Oh, I hope there won't be any troubles with it...
Posted Feb 8, 2005 at 1:20 PM EST
Muggle
Points: 55
anarchy_lotty says:
hehe, to be honest it only a comic strip and if i made us all laugh then i could of help them guys out there to relax, Glad she didnt take it any futher though with Jo's busy schedle
Posted Feb 8, 2005 at 1:41 PM EST
Witch
Points: 753
Mollycoddling says:
There is no copyright infringement to investigate or "catch" here. It is perfectly permissible to spoof copyrighted characters. If it weren't a whole bunch of fans on these sites would be in trouble for their submissions of cartoons, ideas and drawings based on the series.
JKR and WB should know better.
Posted Feb 8, 2005 at 1:44 PM EST
Student
Points: 235
Celedora says:
Alessandra: Freedom of speech? Perhaps they never taught you that in high school civics. One of my best friends is a marine. I have nothing but support for the men and women who serve. What I DO NOT support is an unethical war, and the murder and displacement of innocents. When I said US military I was not refering to the individual soldiers. I was refering to the military-industrial complex, and the military machine. Perhaps they didn't teach you about the ugly, despicable side of war in high school civics either.
Posted Feb 8, 2005 at 2:09 PM EST
Student
Points: 218
Dementor fan club says:
This is Pathetic, what does she possibly have to gain from going after the U.S. Army for a comic in a magazine for soldiers (wich is free, they dont pay for the magazine). it's not like someone is pulling a profit off of this.
She mus be pretty bored at home with her new daughter if she is going after a magazine for men/woman that are fighting a war.
Posted Feb 8, 2005 at 3:36 PM EST
Student
Points: 218
Dementor fan club says:
Hey Celedora.... dont talk about what you dont know...... displacement and murder of innocents.... unless you have been over there keep your mouth shut!! I am a Marine, and when you say U.S. Millitary you ARE talking about the men and woman fighting. what you see on the news is nothing, if your going to open you mouth and talk get on a plaine, get over there. then come back and spit out your garbage!
Posted Feb 8, 2005 at 3:51 PM EST
Witch
Points: 750
magna says:
thats too bad. i agree Demento_fan_club... Dont judge. and i feel bad for any bad press they are getting etc
Posted Feb 8, 2005 at 4:09 PM EST
Student
Points: 235
Celedora says:
Dementor_fan_club and magna: Perhaps you should reread my last post. Again, I was not refering to individual soldiers. Plus, I do have the right to state my own opinions, and you do not have the right to keep me from doing so. If you have in fact been in war overseas then you cannot possibly deny the fact that innocent men, women, and CHILDREN die in war. It's an undisputed fact. You have taken my statements entirely out of context. I'm sorry if I've offended anyone, but I refuse to apologize for stating my opinion.
Posted Feb 8, 2005 at 4:18 PM EST
Student
Points: 218
Dementor fan club says:
I have never and will never deny anyone the right to free speach or there opinion. as it is a fact the innocents do die in any war. but you addressed everything I said leaving out my acusation of you relying on what you see in the news. a person looses there right as a noncombatant when they set a bomb in a street for allied soldiers to advance on... just casue they are not holding a AK-47 doesnt mean they arent hostile. there is alott you will never see because showing everything doesnt make a good news article.
Just from reading the manner from wich your words are spoken, you will never have any experience with combat or anything "real"
no one mentioned keeping your opinion from you or denying your rights. Its like you have that rehearsed. Someone counters your point and you accuse them of attacking your rights. and again, do your homework, what you are meaning is the government. The "millitary Machine" is the men and woman of the armed forces.
Liberal crap!
Posted Feb 8, 2005 at 4:33 PM EST
Student
Points: 235
Celedora says:
Dementor_fan_club: 1. I do believe that telling me to "keep my mouth shut" would in fact be an attempt to keep me from expressing my beliefs. 2. Actually, the term military machine refers to the small group of leaders that run the military. Not the individual soldiers. 3. I know that just because someone is unarmed doesn't mean that they aren't hostile. But not all civilians intend to kill US soldiers, and many have died that are completely innocent. 4. We aren't going to agree on this issue. Let's just let it go. You can't convince me that this war is ethical, and I can't convince you that it's not. We should just agree to disagree. Insulting each other will accomplish nothing. Again, I'm sorry if I've offended you.
Posted Feb 8, 2005 at 4:56 PM EST
Head Girl
Points: 414
R. Skeeter says:
Wow this thread is lively. I also believe that JK Rowling, her lawyers and WB are making too much of this. JK may be anti war but she is not anti violence as atested to in her series. By the way isn't there a war comming in the wizarding world. Have there not been casualties? I guess that on some deep level most people realize that some times war is neccessary.
I congratulate the people of Iraq on their recent elections and I congratulate the soldiers of the armed forces who have brought freedom to the people of Iraq. No one should have to live under tyrany.
Posted Feb 8, 2005 at 6:25 PM EST
Muggle
Points: 82
sean is mine says:
whoa, if this goes through then who knows how many other parody comic type things will become prosectuted, and i dont just mean harry potter infringments. all things that could lead people to think of something that is copyrighted could be affected. i think that it is ridiculous because they in no way said harry potter, it was a comic and i think that JKR and her people need to back off.
Posted Feb 8, 2005 at 7:05 PM EST
Student
Points: 218
Dementor fan club says:
Sean is mine is right, she is only doing this cuase she doesnt like the fact that her country is involved in this conflict. there have been tons of potter parodies. I have a block on my computer of innocent sites that lead to harry potter porn catoons that my little cousins might see. anyone want to take a guess at y she hasnt gone after them, but is going after the U.S. Army???
Posted Feb 8, 2005 at 7:33 PM EST
226-250 251-275 276-292
Back to top of page