NEW YORK/LONDON – A US judge has dismissed a lawsuit accusing best-selling author JK Rowling of copying the work of another author when writing Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
But the estate of late author Adrian Jacobs, which said the plot of the book copied parts of his book Willy the Wizard, including a wizard contest, vowed to continue its legal action in Britain’s High Court.
The Goblet of Fire is the fourth of seven novels in the wildly successful boy wizard series that has been turned into a multibillion-dollar film franchise.
Scholastic Corp, the US publisher of the books, welcomed the move by Judge Shira Scheindlin, quoting her as saying “the contrast between the total concept and feel of the works is so stark that any serious comparison of the two strains credulity”.
Jacobs’s estate said it regretted the US decision, and was considering whether to lodge an appeal.
“Jacobs’s estate will continue to vigorously pursue its claim in London,” estate trustee Paul Allen said in a statement. – (Reuters)
