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Public library ends Harry Potter-themed child literacy program after legal threat from Warner Brothers (boingboing.net)

submitted 1 month ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 31 points 1 month ago (2 children)

That's pretty shitty. Also, TIL boingboing still exists.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

RIGHT?! I mean, after Cory and Xeni left, I kinda stopped reading the site and haven't thought about it in ages.

[–] [email protected] -5 points 1 month ago (3 children)

~~Whatever an arbitrary reader of this comment thinks about copyright law -- If they don't defend their copyright, they can lose it. It's kind of a necessity for them to defend it in this manner.~~

Today, I was stupid.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 month ago

Warner Brothers is not losing their copyright on Harry Potter over a public library doing a themed event lmao

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 month ago

They can defend their copyright by granting permission also. They chose the other path.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 month ago

You're thinking of trademarks. Copyright doesn't work that way.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Doesn’t Scholastic have the book and IP copyright? WB only has copyright on their movies, which diverge from the books in minor ways.

[+] [email protected] -11 points 1 month ago (3 children)

I'm assuming they probably used movie IP in their signage or something. It's shitty, but companies have to defend their trademarks or risk losing them.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 month ago

You’re right the library might try claiming Harry Potter as their own intellectual property. Can’t have that

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

You know what they say about assumptions.

The article suggests that the cease-and-desist was related to copyright. A public library’s education initiative should be covered by fair use. It’s unclear what WB are up to except showing their asses.

In any event, if I were Teton County’s head librarian, it would be a cold day in hell before I’d cooperate with WB’s free publicity events again. I’d likely refuse to buy any book they might have an interest in as well.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

Yeah, I’d take every reference to hp down out of spite. No free publicity from me anymore

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

Nothing to lose except free publicity