'Harry Potter' Wins 'Tanya Grotter' Court Battle
Fri April 4, 2003 11:19 AM ET
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - British "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling won a court battle on Thursday to block the Dutch publication of a Russian novel about a girl wizard called "Tanya Grotter" after arguing it copied one of her bestsellers.
Rowling asked an Amsterdam court to stop publication of the first Western edition of "The Magic Double Bass" by Dmitry Yemets, which her lawyer says copies her hit book "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone." Yemets said his book was a parody.

The Harry Potter books about an English boy wizard have stormed bestseller lists around the world and film versions have grossed more than $1.7 billion. Yemets has sold more than 500,000 books in Russia, spawning radio plays and comic books.

Tanya Grotter and Harry Potter have much in common. Both are orphans, have strange marks on their faces, wield magical powers and battle an enemy too terrible to be named.

Rowling and media giant Time Warner -- responsible for turning her books into movie hits -- secured an injunction from Amsterdam District Court to block publication of 7,000 copies of a Dutch translation of Yemets' book by Dutch publisher Byblos.

"The court orders Byblos to cease and desist from any infringement of Rowling's copyright," including publication of "The Magic Double Bass," the judgment said.

The Dutch publisher has the right to appeal.
From Reuters

Think this was the reason why the next book been delayed.