Potter Author’s Suit Stuns Fans

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has sued to halt the release of a Harry Potter encyclopedia based on contributions to a fan Web site.

The Harry Potter Lexicon, a compilation of fan postings on the Harry Potter Lexicon Web site, was scheduled to be released Nov. 28, The New York Daily News reported. But the book’s release has been held up pending a court decision on whether it is in violation of intellectual property laws.

Rowling’s lawsuit surprised fans because she supported the Web site, the newspaper said.

Roger Rappaport, the publisher of RDR books, which planned to release the lexicon, said he hopes Warner Bros. lawyers will read it and decide to drop the lawsuit.