The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notice to J K Rowling, author of the world famous literary works Harry Potter series, on a petition filed by a portal Bazee.com alleging that the author was misleading the media in a book-piracy case.
Justice A K Sikri issued notices to the author and her attorney in India Anil Kumar, and asked them to file their replies by March 14.
The court was hearing an injunction suit filed by the portal against the author and her Indian attorney accusing them of damaging the website's reputation and its business by misleading the media about the court proceedings in a case pending before the bench since 2004.
According to the petition, in December last year, the bench had summoned the Bazee.com chief on a charge of online auction of pirated Harry Potter e-books and had restrained the website from displaying the e-books.
The court had also restrained the website from marketing and advertising the literary work of Rowling, the petitioner further stated.
The petitioner alleged that the author's Indian representatives had misled the media and the newspapers had wrongly reported about the proceedings.
"This type of act by the author and her representative will cause irreparable injury and damage to the business of the website," the petitioner contended and sought the court's intervention restraining them from going to media.
