Amusing story for Harry Potter fans

HarryT · 10-26-2009, 01:41 PM

A woman planning to hold a "Harry Potter"-themed night at her restaurant for Hallowe'en has been warned off by Warner Bros. over trademark infringements.

Full story at:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8325743.stm

kindlekitten · 10-26-2009, 04:08 PM

sounds like a right lot o'Muggles are running things over at Warner

Patricia · 10-26-2009, 04:58 PM

Presumably the lady might have bought some Warner's merchandise to provide suitable decor for the event, so they've probably lost some sales. And she will doubtless just head for the nearest Pound Shop - my local ones have been full of cheap Halloween tat for weeks.

wodin · 10-26-2009, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

sounds like a right lot o'Muggles are running things over at Warner

Not just Muggles, but Muggle BEANCOUNTERS!!!

PennyPie · 10-26-2009, 05:56 PM

Things like using copyrighted images in advertising, on promo t-shirts or other items would be a no-no. Disney is also a real pisser....(scuze my language) They'll go after the little guys, like it was a big deal. Principle & all I guess.

fugazied · 10-26-2009, 09:04 PM

For some people they never have enough money. JK Rowling is like that. The books are mildly entertaining but she is a real witch.

carlobee · 10-27-2009, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

sounds like a right lot o'Muggles are running things over at Warner

haha. agreed!!

nomesque · 10-27-2009, 12:17 AM

Hrmmm... I'd probably be more sympathetic to Warner Bros if they hadn't put my favourite designer out of business by suing her for using 'Harry Potter' as a clothing brand. Of course, eventually she won, because her brand predated the books by about a decade... but she sold the company soon after winning. Sigh.

On a more amusing note... the Aussie company 'Eagle Boys' (pizza) was originally called 'Beagle Boys' and featured one of the Beagle Boys delivering a pizza... 'til Disney got wind of it

kazbates · 10-27-2009, 09:14 AM

I have no sympathy for these big companies but the point of their existence is to make a profit for their share holders. I guess they see this as if I let one little store do it then another will, then another, and so on, without paying the devil his due.

Having said that, there is something to be said for working with consumers and being seen as a people friendly company. A favorable public image goes a long way, especially in these hard economic times. I lived in Florida long enough to see Disney in action close-up. We couldn't even show Disney films in our classrooms (during in class lunches, parties, etc., not during instruction

) because Disney cried about it. Allowing us to show their videos might have helped promote sales when our little darlings went home and demanded that their parents purchase them the DVD.

paul1403 · 10-27-2009, 05:42 PM

Remember back in the earlier days of the internet, when there were so many fan sites dedicated to various TV shows like the X-Files, Buffy, and so on? The studios, especially Fox with the X-Files, were notorious for demanding these sites be shut down. No matter that they were providing free publicity for their shows, no matter they were encouraging new viewers, all they could see were "trademark infringments" and "copyright issues". Fox, especially, were particularly heavy handed in their demands, bringing down the threat of unlimited litigation which they (Fox) could afford, but no one else could. It's actions like this that make me less concerned with their "shareholder obligations", and more concerned about their lack of civility and, frankly, hostility towards the consumers of their products - Us.

Same with Warner in this instance. How could a theme night in a little suburban resturaunt hurt a huge conglomerate like Warners? What harm are these people doing? If anything they are, like the fan sites on the internet, providing the studio with publicity, and good publicity at that. This is providing as much publicity, but is it good?

The Fun Police rule.

BTW, if my comments above gave offence to Fox or Warners in any way, then Good... my job here is done.

Paul,
Canberra, Australia

daffy4u · 10-27-2009, 06:12 PM

You folks are skipping over the fact that the woman was going to charge for the dinner. Had this been some freebie or charity even WB would have been fine with it. She was going to make money off this even and was not going to pay Warner Bros. and in turn Rowling for use of the Harry Potter brand.

Quote:

After Warner Bros learned about the ticketed event

Quote:

Warner Bros says it has guidelines to help Harry Potter fans run non-profit and charitable events true to the spirit of the stories.

The vast majority of non-commercial events are able to go ahead with the studio's support, it says.

(former Warner Bros. Licensing Employee who had friends in the London office)

kindlekitten · 10-27-2009, 09:01 PM

yeah, I saw that. given that the dinners are very small I just fail to see where their knickers are in such a spin over it. makes them look bad no matter which way you slice it

daffy4u · 10-27-2009, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

yeah, I saw that. given that the dinners are very small I just fail to see where their knickers are in such a spin over it. makes them look bad no matter which way you slice it

Is £20-30 per person cheap? I don't know how many people bought tickets but she's also doing it for 2 nights. It's a for profit venture. It's like pirating. She's selling something (or in this case using something) she doesn't have rights to.

kindlekitten · 10-28-2009, 01:37 AM

what is that? $60-90 or so for dinner? yeah, I think that is reasonably cheap. she certainly isn't making bank on it

BenG · 10-28-2009, 01:51 AM

Also companies have an obligation to protect their trademarks, just ask the makers of Bayer aspirin.

10-26-2009, 01:41 PM	#1
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Amusing story for Harry Potter fans A woman planning to hold a "Harry Potter"-themed night at her restaurant for Hallowe'en has been warned off by Warner Bros. over trademark infringements. Full story at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8325743.stm

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10-26-2009, 04:08 PM	#2
kindlekitten Professional Adventuress Posts: 13,368 Karma: 50260224 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: The Olympic Peninsula on the OTHER Washington! (the big green clean one on the west coast!) Device: Kindle, the original! Times Two! and gifting an International Kindle	sounds like a right lot o'Muggles are running things over at Warner

10-26-2009, 04:58 PM	#3
Patricia Reader Posts: 11,504 Karma: 8720163 Join Date: May 2007 Location: South Wales, UK Device: Sony PRS-500, PRS-505, Asus EEEpc 4G	Presumably the lady might have bought some Warner's merchandise to provide suitable decor for the event, so they've probably lost some sales. And she will doubtless just head for the nearest Pound Shop - my local ones have been full of cheap Halloween tat for weeks.

10-26-2009, 05:56 PM	#5
PennyPie Cocoa & Toast...mmmmmm... Posts: 275 Karma: 1000 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Ohio Device: Sony PRS-700, iPhone	Things like using copyrighted images in advertising, on promo t-shirts or other items would be a no-no. Disney is also a real pisser....(scuze my language) They'll go after the little guys, like it was a big deal. Principle & all I guess.

10-26-2009, 09:04 PM	#6
fugazied Wizard Posts: 1,305 Karma: 1958 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: iPod Touch	For some people they never have enough money. JK Rowling is like that. The books are mildly entertaining but she is a real witch.

10-27-2009, 12:17 AM	#8
nomesque Snooty Bestselling Author Posts: 1,485 Karma: 1000000 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Ipswich, QLD, Australia Device: PRS-650	Hrmmm... I'd probably be more sympathetic to Warner Bros if they hadn't put my favourite designer out of business by suing her for using 'Harry Potter' as a clothing brand. Of course, eventually she won, because her brand predated the books by about a decade... but she sold the company soon after winning. Sigh. On a more amusing note... the Aussie company 'Eagle Boys' (pizza) was originally called 'Beagle Boys' and featured one of the Beagle Boys delivering a pizza... 'til Disney got wind of it

10-27-2009, 09:14 AM	#9
kazbates Wizard Posts: 2,627 Karma: 406616 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Northern Virginia Device: SurfacePro, SurfaceBook 2	I have no sympathy for these big companies but the point of their existence is to make a profit for their share holders. I guess they see this as if I let one little store do it then another will, then another, and so on, without paying the devil his due. Having said that, there is something to be said for working with consumers and being seen as a people friendly company. A favorable public image goes a long way, especially in these hard economic times. I lived in Florida long enough to see Disney in action close-up. We couldn't even show Disney films in our classrooms (during in class lunches, parties, etc., not during instruction ) because Disney cried about it. Allowing us to show their videos might have helped promote sales when our little darlings went home and demanded that their parents purchase them the DVD.

10-27-2009, 05:42 PM	#10
paul1403 Exertion Avoider Posts: 40 Karma: 1000 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia Device: Eco-Reader, Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy S2	Remember back in the earlier days of the internet, when there were so many fan sites dedicated to various TV shows like the X-Files, Buffy, and so on? The studios, especially Fox with the X-Files, were notorious for demanding these sites be shut down. No matter that they were providing free publicity for their shows, no matter they were encouraging new viewers, all they could see were "trademark infringments" and "copyright issues". Fox, especially, were particularly heavy handed in their demands, bringing down the threat of unlimited litigation which they (Fox) could afford, but no one else could. It's actions like this that make me less concerned with their "shareholder obligations", and more concerned about their lack of civility and, frankly, hostility towards the consumers of their products - Us. Same with Warner in this instance. How could a theme night in a little suburban resturaunt hurt a huge conglomerate like Warners? What harm are these people doing? If anything they are, like the fan sites on the internet, providing the studio with publicity, and good publicity at that. This is providing as much publicity, but is it good? The Fun Police rule. BTW, if my comments above gave offence to Fox or Warners in any way, then Good... my job here is done. Paul, Canberra, Australia

10-27-2009, 09:01 PM	#12
kindlekitten Professional Adventuress Posts: 13,368 Karma: 50260224 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: The Olympic Peninsula on the OTHER Washington! (the big green clean one on the west coast!) Device: Kindle, the original! Times Two! and gifting an International Kindle	yeah, I saw that. given that the dinners are very small I just fail to see where their knickers are in such a spin over it. makes them look bad no matter which way you slice it

10-28-2009, 01:37 AM	#14
kindlekitten Professional Adventuress Posts: 13,368 Karma: 50260224 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: The Olympic Peninsula on the OTHER Washington! (the big green clean one on the west coast!) Device: Kindle, the original! Times Two! and gifting an International Kindle	what is that? $60-90 or so for dinner? yeah, I think that is reasonably cheap. she certainly isn't making bank on it

10-28-2009, 01:51 AM	#15
BenG Home Guard Posts: 4,729 Karma: 86721650 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Alpha Ralpha Boulevard Device: Kindle Oasis 3G, iPhone 6	Also companies have an obligation to protect their trademarks, just ask the makers of Bayer aspirin.