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Journalism of Courage
J K Rowling has been named in a lawsuit alleging she stole ideas for her wildly popular and lucrative Harry Potter books from another British author.
The estate of the late Adrian Jacobs on Wednesday added Rowling as a defendant in a lawsuit it filed in June against Bloomsbury Publishing PLC for alleged copyright infringement,according to a statement released by the estates representatives,who are based in Australia.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the fourth book in Rowlings series and was published in July 2000.
Sydney agent Max Markson,who is representing the trustee of Jacobs estate,Paul Allen,said Rowling was added to the lawsuit after Allen learned that the statute of limitations to sue her had not run out,as previously thought.
I estimate its a billion-dollar case, Markson said Thursday. Thatll be the decision of the courts,obviously.
J K Rowling said the claim was completely untrue.
I am saddened that yet another claim has been made that I have taken material from another source to write Harry, she said. The fact is I had never heard of the author or the book before the first accusation by those connected to the authors estate in 2004; I have certainly never read the book.
The claims that are made are not only unfounded but absurd and I am disappointed that I,and my UK publisher Bloomsbury,are put in a position to have to defend ourselves. We will be applying to the Court immediately for a ruling that the claim is without merit and should therefore be dismissed without delay.
