'Harry Potter' Author Accused of Plagiarism in 'Billion-Dollar Case'
The estate of the deceased author of a children’s book has accused the author of the stunningly successful “Harry Potter” books of plagiarizing concepts and themes from Adrian Jacobs’ The Adventures of Willy the Wizard: No 1 Livid Land, which was published in 1987.
J.K. Rowling, who became the world’s richest author due to the success of Harry Potter, has strongly disputed the claim, reports the London Times.
Bloomsbury Publishing, which printed the books, was named as a defendant in the London lawsuit in June, the newspaper recounts. However, Paul Allen of Australia, who is trustee of Jacobs’ estate, initially thought the statute of limitations had run on a potential case against Rowling, says Max Markson. An agent in Sydney, he represents Allen.
“I estimate it’s a billion-dollar case,” Markson tells the Times. “When you think of all the money that’s involved, I would say $1 billion is a conservative estimate.”
Related earlier coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “‘Harry Potter’ Author Wins Case Over Fan’s Harry Potter Encyclopedia”
