Publishing Fan fiction & copyright

Harry Potter case illustrates blurry line in copyright law
NEW YORK (AP) — For a time, "Harry Potter" superfan Steven Vander Ark seemed to be living a geeky dream.

His Web site — an obsessive catalog of spells, characters and creatures in J.K. Rowling's novels — was a hit among fellow fanatics. He spoke at conventions. Journalists sought him out for interviews. He was a guest on NBC's "Today" show.

Better still, Rowling knew who he was. She gave his site, The Harry Potter Lexicon, an award and confessed that she occasionally used its online encyclopedia as a reference. Warner Bros. invited him onto the set of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." He even made it on to the DVD, appearing in a documentary included as a special feature.
But all that changed after a little-known publishing company, RDR Books, announced it would release a print version of the lexicon. The author and Warner Bros. sued, asking a judge to block publication on the grounds that it violated copyright law, and the case went to trial this week.

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Hmmmm ..

According to this article JK endorsed Steve's Lexicon work to a POINT.

It was the publishing rights that was an out of bounds area for her.

What is the difference between a hard copy book and an e-copy book (Lexicon)?

van der Ark? intresting, I didnt knew that..

Well, it's sort of like this:
If you created an international phenomenon, you'd probably be grateful for someone to create a background site so people would understand your books better.
But publishing it- especially when JKR is writing an encyclopedia HERSELF- is stepping over a boundary. Wouldn't you be like, "Hey, books are my job!"
I would.
Of course, I'm incredibly impatient, so maybe my word doesn't count for much...

IMO, the lexicon - a catalogue - He's got a right to publish it. Folks write that kind of book about books all the time. I'm glad they do. His is ready to go.

But she's writing her own encyclopedia.
And Lexicon is fine for Internet use.
But which would you rather buy a copy of, JKR's or his?

But the fact of the matter is that there is nothing to keep someone from writing about other books. That's all he's doing. I think it's fair game. She will get 'credit' all over the place. He can't leave her out. JKR is synonymous with HP.

Why is it fine for him to donate and not fine for him to profit from all his hard work (the cataloguing) too? People will buy the book. He'll offer the unofficial version and she'll keep writing and offer the official encyclopedia. She'll still profit. I will probably buy both.

He's not using her characters to create new work.