The author of the Harry Potter books has gone to court in New York to protect her use of the term "muggles" - her name
for we human beings who lack magical powers.
J.K. Rowling, her American publisher and the company that holds the film rights to the successful children's books
about a young wizard, have filed a suit in Manhattan federal court against an American author who challenges her coinage of
the term.
The suit says that Nancy Stouffer, the writer, had threatened to take legal action, claiming that she made up the word
"muggles" for the mythical characters in her out-of-print children's stories, which include The legend of Rah and Rah and
The Muggles.
Ms Rowling, the former Edinburgh teacher who wrote the books in a coffee shop while her infant daughter slept, has said
she invented the word in its current usage.
"The word for non-magic humans, 'Muggles' is a twist on the English word mug, which means easily fooled," she once explained.
"I made it into 'muggles' because it sounds gentler. Proper, good wizards are quite fond of 'muggles' and treat them
in a kindly way."
Ms Stouffer said that a small publisher had planned to reissue her Rah books but had been forced to put the
project on hold. "There is no way anyone can market two licenseable characters at the same time," she said. "My concern is
protecting my intellectual property."
Ms Rowling , her publisher, Scholastic Corp, and Time Warner Entertainment Co, which holds the film rights to the first
two Harry Potter books, are seeking a declaratory judgement from the court that Harry Potter's "Muggles" do not infringe Ms
Stouffer's trademark or copyright.
LINKS
