J.K. Rowling due to appear as witness in New York court

0 Comments | AFP, March, 2008

NEW YORK (AFP) — British author J.K. Rowling is expected to appear as a witness at a New York trial next month, in a case called to settle an intellectual property dispute involving her Harry Potter books.

Rowling and Warner Bros., the studio behind the movie versions of the books, are suing US publisher RDR Books over an encyclopedia devoted to the boy wizard and other characters from the phenomenally successful series.

A New York Federal District Court Judge on Monday ordered the case to go to trial on April 14. A lawyer for RDR Books said Rowling was expected to appear to give evidence in the case.

"We asked for her and they said they would provide her," said lawyer David Hammer. "I would say it would be very unlikely that she would not appear," he added....