Stanford Center for Internet and Society

Yes, it's true. As Zohar Efroni reported, the Fair Use Project has signed on as co-counsel representing RDR Books in its litigation against J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers. The case concerns the HP Lexicon, a Harry Potter reference guide that has existed on the web for a long time, and has become the authoritative guide to the people, places and things of the Harry Potter universe. Upon learning that RDR Books planned to publish a printed version of the Lexicon, Rowling and Warner Brothers filed suit, alleging copyright and trademark infringement, and seeking to permanently enjoin the publication of the HP Lexicon in printed form. Read a copy of the complaint here. More in the new year, as we file our opposition to Rowling's motion for preliminary injunction. In the meantime, view the online version of the Lexicon (which Rowling herself honored with a fansite award) here.

After our win in Golan v. Gonzales, the government has petitioned the Tenth Circuit for a rehearing of the case, which decided that the Uruguay Round Agreements Act altered the "traditional contours" of copyright and therefore triggers First Amendment Review.

The Attorney General's office seeks a standard - that First Amendment review is only triggered by changes in the idea/expression dichotomy or in fair use - that the Supreme Court has already rejected in Eldred. Our response to the petition for rehearing urges the Tenth Circuit adhere to its carefully reasoned opinion in this case.

Henry Jenkins at M.I.T. put up an excellent post about Moral Kombat, one of the first films we reviewed as part of our then-new (now not-so-new but significantly bigger) Documentary Film Program. Read the post. See the film, which is going into previews now.