Warner Brothers is going after Harry Potter fan sites.
December 8, 2000 12:18 PM   Subscribe

Warner Brothers is going after Harry Potter fan sites. This isn't the first time. It should be interesting to see if they come after The Leaky Cauldron Weblog. It seems they're going after sites with "Harry Potter" as part of the domain name. However they do have a trademark for "Leaky Cauldron".
posted by bkdelong (4 comments total)
 
Gotta love that trademark application. Under "goods and services," we find:

Toys and sporting goods, including games and playthings--namely, action figures and accessories therefor; plush toys; balloons; bathtub toys; ride-on toys; equipment sold as a unit for playing card games; toy vehicles; dolls; flying discs; electronic hand-held game unit; game equipment sold as a unit for playing a board game, a card game, a manipulative game, a parlor game, a parlor-type computer game, an action type target game; stand alone video output game machines; jigsaw and manipulative puzzles; paper face masks; skateboards; ice skates; water squirting toys; balls--namely, playground balls, soccer balls, baseballs, basketballs; baseball gloves; swimming floats for recreational use; kickboard flotation devices for recreational use; surfboards; swim boards for recreational use; swim fins; toy bakeware and toy cookware; toy banks; and Christmas tree ornaments

That's right: watch those store shelves for a Leaky Cauldron skateboard, Leaky Cauldron baseball gloves, Leaky Cauldron swim fins, and a Leaky Cauldron parlor gaem!


posted by grimmelm at 12:29 PM on December 8, 2000


oh it gets better. This weekend I'll go through all of these and pick out the Harry Potter related ones.

*shakes head*
posted by bkdelong at 12:33 PM on December 8, 2000


I feel the need to point out here that mere *use* of a trademarked name in public does *not* constitute dilution, especially if the use is editorial in nature.

Get advice, and stand your ground. They're going to look like the Grinch Who Stole Harry if they hammer down some little weblog... (no offense, or course, intended; don't wanna get turned into a bouncing ferret or anything... :-)
posted by baylink at 12:55 PM on December 8, 2000


Hmm. I hope J.K. Rowling read all her contracts through. Looks like she sold trademark to WB instead of keeping it herself (too bad.)

BTW, I remember reading at some blog or other where the guy posting mentioned attending a seminar where some engineer named Harry Potter spoke. He can't be the only Harry Potter out there. It's his (their) name...so now they can't use their name for anything?!
posted by Electric Elf at 2:09 PM on December 9, 2000


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