J.K. Rowling on the Stand: ‘There’s a Measure of Principle at Stake’

clipped from blogs.wsj.com For background on the case, click here. the big event of the day came when Rowling took the stand, dressed not unlike her lawyers, in a black suit with white pinstripes. In direct examination, Cendali began by asking Rowling about the initial creation of the Potter franchise and the well-reported finanical hardship that attended it. “I don’t want to cry, because I’m British,” said Rowling, breaking down a bit, “but the [Harry Potter books] meant setting aside my children.” If that was a show of weakness on Rowling’s part, to the Law Blog’s sensibilities, it was effective in making her seem sympathetic. It was also a counterpoint to testimony that was otherwise declarative and authoritative. “Should my fans be flooded with a surfeit of substandard books — so called lexicons — I’m not sure I’d have the will or heart to continue,” said Rowling, who went on to characterize the H.P. Lexicon as “sloppy,” “lazy,” and “incorrect.”