first to post! thats sad man!

What are they like! But i suppose that they just want someone to sue. Arent they like suing everyone, so we better watch our backs or they'll be on to us next. So we better play nice guys and put the C or the TM on our usernames just to be on the safe side! Nah! Im only joking. But why do they want to sue other people anyway, i mean arent they rich enough. How Ridickulus! :/

Well it makes sense
Since any complaints would probably be held against Warner Brothers instead of them..

And in the long run, they will be the ones who were damaged/hurt.. So it makes sense that they would try to product themselves, the product (HP movies, HP games) and protect the fans from fraud (by giving off the impression that it was backed by WB enterprises).

Personally, I'm glad they are being cautious. You never know how things will turn around against you.

Also, it's a matter of patent law and copyright.. But you guys might become extremely bored if I start explaining it! lol

Well, I guess legally they could do that...

But there is such a thing as being overly-cautious like with the web sites....

Warner Brothers need to get a life.

Seriously, who would complain about a castle? What possibly complaint could someone have against it? "That tower is too wonky..."

You can't complain about landmarks, they are the way they are.

Just because HP was filmed there does not mean they were using that to sell the tours, they've been going for years!

Memo to WB: The world does not centre around Harry Potter! Or money for that matter!

Honestly! These people are ridiculous!

^I agree!! It seems like they got bored and decided: "Let's sue!" I think people need to spend more time trying to FIX problems rather than create them.

They're not complaining about the castle.
They're not complaining about landmarks.
They're not complaining about the tours.
They're protecting the brand name: Harry Potter

I think I can see where you misread that part. The article was clearly being biased, arguing that British Tours had the right to do the tour. This however, was not the issue. Sadly, it is easy to jump at companies and point to them as the evil corporations crushing the little guy. But, seriously guys, this is not about that. WB was only asking them to change the name of the tour!!

All British Tours has to do is change the name of the tour and promote the fact Harry Potter was filmed there with the Title. Seriously, it's not that hard!!!

When British Tours used the name Harry Potter locations Tours they were violating copyright law! In order to be able to use the name, they need to make an agreement with WB. Not only is British Tours making profit by stealing the hard-work of JK Rowling and WB, but they are making it seem like WB is supporting their tours (which they are not) as well as engaging in false advertisement.

*** False advertisement would be when a company sells you a product that will dye your hair red (note: they do not say novelty -- novelty means for the entertainment value; which means the product does not have to work). You use the product because you want to dye your hair red. And guess what, they dyed your hair as well as anyone who tried it green. False Advertisement would also be if they say there are no side effects and the users end up with seizures as a side effect. False advertisement is a dishonest way of going into business. It tricks people into believing things that are not true, and increases the chance they will engage in activities that they wouldnt have engaged in. ***

British Tours did not invent/create HP. And I bet they did not have a tour called "Harry Potter location Tours" before HP.

And yes, by client they may be referring to Warner Brothers as well as JK Rowling.

I totally agree with fr2nc1z! That is so wrong!

its all copyright nowadays

i guess they've got enough grounds to do it though

It's wrong maybe but there are far more important things in the world. I've known Harry Potter events to go on and so what. They just want to make sure there's always a cut in the profits for them.

People aren't about to go on that tour for the HP part - because you can go on your own HP tour!

That's a valid point (about being other events with the HP name), there might be other events with their name that havent got WB's consent -- and I'm sure there is. I guess the thing is WB will never have the manpower to enforce it's copyright all the time and in all cases. So like any other company, they have to focus on the big cases first -- that way they will establish a precendent when protecting their copyright name.

If they don't do so, later on, it will be used as a point against them when an even bigger case comes by. Say, some other TV company decides to use HP (or any other copyright name for that matter), gains huge profits, and in an extreme case, WB won't be able to do anything about it -- or will have a harder time.

And sure, there are better things to do in the world -- however, when you look at companies they stop being "people" and just become one big organic entity. People are inconsequential. People come and go all the time. And even though it makes sense for people to be doing better things and apply rules of conduct to their decisions, for the comany (as an organism) to do this (fight for its survival -- profit wise as well with other goals in mind such as expansion) it makes sense.

I think it also concerns 'injuries' to people on the tour... because if they sued... their lawyers wouldn't just go after the tour company, they would go after the 'place' where it happened and anyone else they felt were involved up the line all the way to WB & JKR, which means even if they had no standing 'legally' in the lawsuit, they would have to have their lawyers go to court and prove it, which costs time and money.... and it would be reported in the newspapers/tv as well.

well if warner brothers want to ge their panties ina bunch, the British Govt could sue them for not allowing a Brtish company to use Britsh landmarks in its tours, i mean those landmarks just happen to be in a very famous movie

i mean several films have been filmed in texas(thats where im from) and one of those movies Varsity Blues was filmed in my hometown and they used our high school, well when i take people back home i take them to my high school and say "this is where they filmed varsity blues" and i take them and show them all the different places some of the movie took place in

i mean the school was there before the movie and its still there, its just alittle more famous than it was, mirimax doenst own the school, the county does and they should be free to do whatever thay want with it

i mean those people werent calling it a harry potter tour, they were just pointing out the landmarks that happen to be in the movie

i mean WB acts like they are losing billions of money on this, i mean they arent lsoing any money

If you read the article and some of the posts more carefully, you will realize that it has nothing to do with them doing the tours.

British Tours is able to the tours. That is not the issue at hand.

Too right you are.

WB have certainly lost their mind :storm:

LOL why do you say that?

this is just... weird i mean, who's to say that people wont go and visit the landmarks themselves, if not on the tour? but i do agree that the name of the tour should be changed...

Well, they could still go
And they can still promote HP was filmed there lol! So people can still go in the tour.

I bet the tour includes other stuff besides the filiming location too, ya know

WB really like to keep a hold of Harry potter dont they!

honsetly i im telling you they really are nitpicking at times.

geez.... what can I say?

Woahh, thats totally messed up. And so is WB

lol, i wouldnt call it messed up. It's the nature of things. You produce things, you patent them, and if others want to use it they need your permission.

They do this in all areas, like with education (books published, theories), science (chemicals, pharmaceutical drugs, antibiotics), companies (non-profit and profit), government, military... and the list goes on

So, nope. Not messed up because it is not out of the ordinary/weird. Unless you can explain why exactly it is? (maybe you meant messed up with a different definition?)