JK Rowling loses £25,000 compensation battle against Indians who built 'Hindu Harry Potter school'

 

Last updated at 16:20pm on 12th October 2007 Comments

JK Rowling has failed to win £25,000 compensation from Hindus who built a replica of Harry Potter's school to celebrate a religious festival.

Rowling and Warner Brothers wanted £25,000 for breach of copyright - but the community group claimed the bid had failed and the bizarre Hindu festival in east India will go ahead.

The four-day Durga Puja festival, which begins on October 17, also plans to include life-sized models of Harry Potter, his companions and even a mock steam engine to resemble the Hogwarts Express.

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Hindi Potter: The pandal is a hindu festival structure in the shape of Harry Potter's school

 

Potter and his gang will join a cast of Hindu statues including a 10-armed goddess sitting on a lion, stabbing a demon emerging from a buffalo.

Organisers of the festival in Calcutta said they were 'overjoyed' after claiming a court ruling allowed the hybrid Hindu-Potter festival to take place without any compensation payment.

The community's lawyer, Ghose Chaudhuri, said: "The court has given us permission to use the Pandal (the structure) and whatever has been made till the 26th of October, no compensation has been directed to be paid."

Santanu Biswas, a leading community member, said: "We are quite overjoyed with the court's order."

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JK Rowling is protective over the copyright of her famous wizard creation

 

Thousands of worshippers are expected to flock to the replica of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as the festival is the biggest of its kind in east India.

Neither court officials nor the lawyers for J.K. Rowling were available for comment.

But as well as copyright concerns, it is understood they feared the group would also commercially exploit Harry Potter to make money during the festival.

In Calcutta alone, more than 10,000 pandals - elaborately crafted temporary structures in various themes - are set up to venerate the goddess.

People from all over the country visit the city at this time, and it is considered a matter of great pride and honour for local communities if their pandals are praised for originality and getting the most visitors.

Poor old Rowling.

 

It's not like she needs the money now

Poor old Rowling.

 

It's not like she needs the money now

 

True - she's rowling in it!!:rolleyes: