Frivilous lawsuit

[blinkmeat]

Harry Potter legal challenge next week could block film's release in Canada
STEVE LAMBERT
October 25, 2005


WINNIPEG (CP) - A little-known Winnipeg folk group will have a chance next week to block the Nov. 18 premiere of the new Harry Potter movie across Canada.

The Wyrd Sisters, who allege that Harry Potter and The Goblet Of Fire contains a scene with a musical group bearing their name, have secured a Nov. 4 court date to apply for an injunction barring distribution of the film.

The application for an injunction is part of a lawsuit the Wyrd Sisters filed in September against the Warner Brothers movie and music empire and three famous British musicians - Jarvis Cocker of the group Pulp and Jonny Greenwood and Phil Selway of Radiohead.

The lawsuit alleges the musicians appear in the film under the Wyrd Sisters moniker, and seeks $40 million plus punitive damages, interest and other costs.

The band's lawyer, Kimberly Townley-Smith, was unavailable for comment Tuesday. In an earlier interview, she said the Wyrd Sisters would suffer from public confusion over the name.

Warner Brothers is fighting the lawsuit, saying the movie contains no reference to a "Wyrd Sisters" group.

Although the company first approached the Winnipeg group and offered $5,000 to share the name, it says it eventually made the film with an unnamed musical group.

"There is absolutely no name ... for the band that is playing," Warner Brothers spokesman Scott Rowe said from Los Angeles.

"They are never identified by name."

Rowe said Warner Brothers officials even flew to Canada last week to show the movie in its entirety to Townley-Smith in order to prove that the Wyrd Sisters name does not appear.

"We have (also) submitted sworn affidavits to the court, stating that the name Wyrd Sisters is not being used either in the film or on its soundtrack," Rowe said.

The legal dispute has stirred up heated debate on the Internet, with many Harry Potter and Radiohead fans calling the lawsuit a cash grab.

"(The) Wyrd Sisters ought to appreciate the publicity," reads a message posted in the fan forum on The Leaky Cauldron - a website for Potter fans.

"I guess they never made much money with their music, so they're trying to get rich off the fame of others."

Some Radiohead fans have posted expletive-filled rants on the Wyrd Sisters' message board.

Others have pointed out that William Shakespeare wrote about three witches called the weird sisters in MacBeth, while British author Terry Pratchett published a MacBeth-themed book called Wyrd Sisters almost 20 years ago.

But The Wyrd Sisters have said the battle is about fairness, not publicity.

"I really feel that morally we have the right to own our name and we have a right to go about our business without interference," lead singer Kim Baryluk told Chart magazine in September.

The Wyrd Sisters have announced that they are set to release a new CD and launch a tour in the near future.


Please - I want to see this movie.

http://www.mts.net/~wyrds1/news.html

[pharzo]

Well judging from their domain name, they could use the cash. But this is a really silly way to go about getting it

[RC45]

They deserve to sue.

The Potter franchise makes BILLIONS - and they offered them $5000 to use their name in the film?

What a cheap shot.

"Here, I give you $5,000 to use your name in a movie that will nett me $1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.00 in revenue over the next year."

"What? That offer is too low?"

Let's see the franchise and warner bros bleed on this one.

[pharzo]

Just because the movie will be successfull is no excuse to sue

Why don't we all sue Gates just because he has some cash? The "Wyrd Sisters" are claiming that the movie will somehow damage them...which it won't. If they want to sue someone, sue the author. She's the one who used the name without permission. The damn name isn't even in the movie. WB probably checked the copyright

[RC45]

Just because the movie will be successfull is no excuse to sue

Why don't we all sue Gates just because he has some cash? The "Wyrd Sisters" are claiming that the movie will somehow damage them...which it won't. If they want to sue someone, sue the author. She's the one who used the name without permission. The damn name isn't even in the movie. WB probably checked the copyright

Gates didn't come to you and offer you $5,000 to use your name on the My Computer Icon for WindowsXP, knowing that Win2K just a Kashmillion bucks... ;)

Then when you ask for more, they use your persona anyway... :P

That's the difference...

[pharzo]

After WB offered them the cash and they declined, WB just didn't use the name. The sisters are just having second thoughts, and decided to get some publicity out of it

[RC45]

And quite rightly so... sue them for everything they can. :)

[blinkmeat]

And quite rightly so... sue them for everything they can. :)'

Although I sort of agree - this is just bloody stupid - take the money and stfu:roll:

batches

[RC45]

And quite rightly so... sue them for everything they can. :)'

Although I sort of agree - this is just bloody stupid - take the money and stfu:roll:

batches
Take a low-ball offer of $5,000?

Would you? KNowing the franchise would make BILLIONS from merchandising?

[Anonymous]

I'm just wondering if you could get sued for calling it a frivilous lawsuit :lol: Seems to me they tried to screw the band over, they shouldn't have been so tight, bought it on themselves. I guess they may just settle for a considerably larger fee :D

[pharzo]

And quite rightly so... sue them for everything they can. :)'

Although I sort of agree - this is just bloody stupid - take the money and stfu:roll:

batches
Take a low-ball offer of $5,000?

Would you? KNowing the franchise would make BILLIONS from merchandising?

It's not a low-ball offer. Sure the movie will make money, but it also cost money. They offered them roughly what the name is worth. Is there any reason to think that using the name would increase the profits of the movie at all? It either 5 grand or bupkus. They choose bupkus, and got a little "staircase wit"

[findleybeast]

I'd take the offer if I were them, since if the name really isn't used in the movie they have no grounds. Its not like they were making a parody of the band, they just wanted to use the same name. Its stupid to sue because they'll just be spending money on the lawyer and can only hope for an out of court settlement, since theres no way they'll win. Who cares if the franchise makes billions? Perhaps the $5000 offer was a little low ball, but what are they sueing about now? Are they sueing for not using their name? I think its just greed on both ends of that interaction.

[blinkmeat]

And quite rightly so... sue them for everything they can. :)'

Although I sort of agree - this is just bloody stupid - take the money and stfu:roll:

batches
Take a low-ball offer of $5,000?

Would you? KNowing the franchise would make BILLIONS from merchandising?

HELL YA - Id be happy now with the publictity too. There was a time to bargain and that time is passed now - so i'd consider myself lucky to get that. Especially because the name isn't even in the damn movie.

Now I might not get to see it becasue of some dumb litlith-fair bitch-band

Fuck them man

[pharzo]

I'm pretty sure I would never be in a group called the "Wyrd Sisters" :wink:

[pharzo]

like I said, they were lucky to get the 5k

staircase wit all the way with this coven

[Pokiou]

i dont see the point in us arguing .. we are not going to get a cent.. and if i was the ladies ill stfu .. there is no referance to them.. they offered, they declined and so they didnt use there name, case is closed.. should i sue the makes of denis the meance cause denis is my name and people have been calling me a meance of years this has caused me years of distress oh pitty me peopel confuse me for that mischief child !!??? no .. so in conclusion this is a publicity stunt from maybe both sides.. but who cares. i surely dont..


Pok