Vander Ark Sunk

Steve Vander Ark won't be publishing The Harry Potter Lexicon after all. U.S. District Judge Robert Patterson has ruled in favor of author J. K. Rowling, who sued Vander Ark last November to stop publication of his book.

The print version of The Harry Potter Lexicon would have been drawn verbatim from the material on Vander Ark's Web site, one of the most comprehensive encyclopedic listings of all things Harry that's used by people all over the world—even by Rowling herself. Created by the former Michigan school librarian in 2000, the resource was so impressive that Rowling gave it a Fan Site Award on her official site.

Patterson permanently blocked the book's publication, saying that its release would have violated Rowling's copyright and caused the author irreparable harm as a writer. He also awarded Rowling and coplaintiff Warner Bros. $6,750 in statutory damages.