J.K. Rowling has made legal headlines again, but this time it's a fan based website she is going after. Through a lawsuit set on Hollows Eve, Rowling has clearly stated her objections of the publcation of the "Harry Potter Lexicon," a fan based encyclopedia produced by the site "http://www.hp-lexicon.org".
The site has spells, potions, maps, and lists of wizards from the story.
She expressed her own plans to launch an encyclopedia-style book and clearly stated in her lawsuit that this would be copyright infringement.
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Copyright Lawsuits Against Fan Websites
- Opportunity for the development of a transformative works platform that ensures fan contributions are considered original works and supporting systems that provide guidance on fair use and other legal issues.
- Author-led Fan Content Platforms
- Opportunity to create author-led fan content platforms that allow fans to contribute and participate with the authorization of the original content creators and providing revenue streams to creators.
- Community-driven Content Adaptation
- Opportunity for centralizing fan efforts directed towards the creation of user-generated content and engaging with fandom communities to determine what they want and how they want it.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Intellectual Property Law
- Disruptive innovation opportunity for intellectual property firms lies in developing innovative solutions to prevent and mitigate copyright-related disputes among original creators and fan communities.
- Online Content Distribution
- Opportunity for the development of platforms that transform existing traditional fan sites into transformative works platforms, led by content creators to regulate copyright issues with fan content.
- Crowdfunding and Content Monetization
- Opportunity for crowdfunding platforms to create revenue streams for creators and provide an alternative option for audiences other than piracy.
