The Wyrd Sisters Sue to Stop Harry Potter Release in Canada

Posted on October 26, 2005

Just when we thought were were through reading about more copyright infringement lawsuits, we discovered this Canadian shocker. A Winnipeg folk group called The Wyrd Sisters is suing for an injunction to stop the November 18th showing of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire across Canada on the grounds of copyright infringement. We predict a last-minute settlement will be reached in the case. There had better be a last-minute settlement in the case, or Canadian Harry Potter fans are going to be absolutely furious.

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."

So let's get this straight. Warner Brothers offers The Wyrd Sisters $5,000 to use their name in the movie, they refused, and now the group is suing on the grounds that Warner Bros. is using the name without permission. This seems easy enough to sort out: is the named used in the movie or not?