MUMBAI, India - Hollywood's Warner Bros. which owns the
rights to the Harry Potter movies, is suing an Indian
production company whose new film is called "Hari Puttar: A
Comedy of Terrors," the studio said on Wednesday.
The studio had started proceedings against the makers of "Hari
Puttar" over similarities to the international film and
literary phenomenon, said Warner Bros. spokeswoman Deborah
Lincoln.
"We confirm that we have recently commenced proceedings
against parties involved in the production and distribution
of a movie entitled 'Hari Puttar'," Lincoln told Reuters in
an e-mail.
"Warner Bros. values and protects intellectual property
rights," she said.
 The
producers of "Hari Puttar" said they had registered the title
more than two years ago and the film bore no resemblance to
the "Harry Potter" franchise.
"All I can say is that the title is not at all similar to
Harry Potter and nor is our story line," said Munish Purii,
chief operating officer of the film's producers, Mirchi
Movies.
Purii said the Delhi High Court began hearing the case on
Monday.
"Hari Puttar", slated to open in cinemas on September 12, is
the story of a young boy fighting two criminals who are
trying to steal a secret formula devised by the boy's
scientist father.
In October last year, an Indian court allowed a community
group in the eastern state of West Bengal to create a replica
of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, rejecting a
petition from author J.K. Rowling for copyright breach.
Rowling, creator of the boy wizard Harry Potter and Warner
Bros., which controls the rights to the series in India, had
sought 2 million rupees (27,116 pounds) in compensation from
the group, which had erected the structure for a Hindu
festival.
Warner Bros. is a unit of Time Warner Inc. |
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