Does J.K. Rowlings have a point?

Yes she does have a point and even Steven Vander Ark knows she does. Right in the article it states: [i]Vander Ark said he initially declined proposals to convert the Web site into an encyclopedia, in part because he believed until last August that in book form, it would represent a copyright violation. After Rowling released the final chapter in the "Harry Potter" series last July, Vander Ark was contacted by an RDR Books employee, who told him that publication of the lexicon would not violate copyright law, he said. Still, to protect himself, Vander Ark said he insisted that RDR Books include a clause in his contract that the publisher would defend him and pay any damages that might result from claims against him.[/i] The website was one thing because it was non-profit and it was for educational means only. This allowed him to get around copyright infringement but the book is totally different since it is to make money. It is not like he is doing anything unique but just taking info from the books and organizing it. That is infringing on her copyright. The book company should have known this and should not have tried to do the book without her permission.

She definitely has a point. The Harry Potter 'realm' and all of the characters are hers, they're her creations, and there's no reason for anyone else to publish anything that ties directly to them. Some of the explanation sort of books that I've seen [but haven't looked into] potentially should have upset her as well, but I guess because this one was going to be so much more expensive than the others [I read somewhere $24+(? Could be wrong?)] it could have just touched a nerve with her. Whatever the reason, I don't think that anyone should be able to profit off of her creations, unless she authorizes it.

Yes and no lol. Everyone has a point, always. It is just which party you are. I think that fan made a big mistake. If he had spoken to Mama Potter first and ask her for permission, and work out a win-win deal which gives Mama Potter some royalty, the court case would not have happened.

As the characters belong to JK Rowling and he can't write a reference guide without her permission. All he wants to do is make money out of the Harry Potter series. The publishers are out of order as well, for asking him to do this, it should have been okayed by JK Rowling.