India's Hari Puttar Triumphs Over Warners' Harry Potter
Mon Sep 22, 2008 @ 10:30AM PSTBy Eriq Gardner
So much for Warner Bros.' attempt to waive its magic legal wand and make Hari Puttar go away.
The Delhi High Court has ruled that an Indian film called "Hari Puttar -- A Comedy of Terrors" doesn't infringe upon the "Harry Potter" trademark. The court says there's unlikely to be trademark confusion as Harry Potter readers are sufficiently educated to know the difference between the two franchises.
According to the lawyer representing the defendant, the court also slapped Warner Bros. on the wrist by saying it has known about the Indian film since 2005 and yet delayed its lawsuit until shortly before Hari Puttar was scheduled to be released in theaters.