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Harry Potter and the dinner party of doom
Emma Rowley26.10.09
A single mother is to take on the might of Warner Bros after the studio which put Harry Potter on the big screen threatened legal action over her plans to serve butterbeer and cauldron cakes at themed dinner parties.
The owner of The Underground Restaurant in Kilburn, who goes by the name Ms Marmite Lover, intended to serve dishes from the Harry Potter series such as chocolate frogs and pumpkin pasties.
But Warner Bros has warned her that her two dinner parties would infringe its copyright over the boy wizard.
Ms Marmite Lover, who did not want to reveal her real name and considers JK Rowling a role model, has renamed the events "generic wizard/Halloween nights" after legal advice but remains bemused and questioned whether Harry Potter's creator would back the studio or support her enterprise as a single mother.
"The night is totally a fan's tribute and is a one-off. It's not like I'm running a permanent Harry Potter restaurant," she said.
"It is basically dinner parties that are paid for. I'm the cook and hostess. Each dinner takes four days of work and I make very little money from it.
"I do understand people have to protect their copyright. But the difficulty is that Harry Potter is so popular it's now part of the culture. My daughter, 15, has been raised on Harry Potter and is obsessed.
"I don't know whether JK Rowling personally approves of this or not. It's a shame really - I met her at the National Council for One Parent Families conference and she signed a book for me. She was a struggling single mother and my history is quite similar. I have always seen her as a role model."
Ms Marmite Lover, 40, started serving dinners in her home in January and has since seen the "supper club" concept soar in popularity.
For a Halloween event, she worked hard to bring delicacies mentioned in the Potter novels such as butterbeer and chocolate frogs to an edible reality.
To add a touch of magic to her menu, she planned to dish up miraculin powder, extracted from the African miracle berry which transforms sour foods into sweet.
Her 30 guests would each night pour sachets of the powder into their mouths before eating a tiny sugarless tarte au citron which would taste "miraculously sweet".
"I have changed the name of the night but do I have to change the name of the dishes?" she said. "It has been booked out for months, so it is last-minute from Warner Bros."
However, Ms Marmite Lover believes that not all the recipes are the creation of the Harry Potter author. "Butterbeer is apparently a medieval recipe," she said. "Pumpkin pasties are mentioned in the book, but are a Caribbean recipe so it seems to me that they can't stop me doing that.
"Cauldron cakes are from the book originally - so I may call them Le Creuset cakes."
The response from Warner Bros stands in stark contrast to the enthusiastic reaction of Marmite when The Underground Restaurant themed an evening around the product.
"Every single course including the cocktail and dessert included Marmite," Ms Marmite Lover said. "They love me. I have got a lifetime supply."
Reader views (6)
Why doesn't the article say how MUCH this woman is paid for the dinners? And at one point the woman says it's a 'one-off', but the article keeps referring to 'dinners' and 'events' in the plural.
I agree that people shouldn't be allowed to have whole businesses based around Harry Potter (well, I mean I agree that if they're going to prevent that guy from publishing that Harry Potter Companion Guide they have to prevent someone from running regular Harry Potter dinners as a business - though to be honest I think both those things are actually helpful to the brand in the long-term and I think it's a bad strategy to prevent them).
But if this woman is running one Harry Potter-themed dinner a year, doesn't it do more harm (to the brand) than good to give her a cease-and-desist order?
- Sgw555, Toronto, CA
A little research especially in any buisness venture is prudent.
Recipies that have been around are not a problem,recipies or anything else associated with a copyright should be thouroughly investigated for use and a letter or appointment for permission reguarding there limited use would save a lot of trouble.
I decorate theme cakes for a living and can not use ANY material not spicifically copyright designated for cakes, even photo cakes where people bring in photos from a studio that hold the copyright for their picture has to come with a letter on that studios company letter head giving me permission to do so.
1st Fact of the matter is copyrights are expensive and hard to obtain, 2nd If I create or buy the rights to something, it's mine! and people profiting from my hard work or investment without permission would face legal action.
Sorry I have to go with what's right, not emotion with this.
- Wm. Allan Tack, DeerIsland;Oregon,U.S.A
A bit rich, considering that Rowling has plagiarised every fantasy cliche from the past 20 years or so.
- Anon, England
It sounds like "Trunk, US" is in management at Warner Bros to publish that statement.
Shame on you Mr. Trunk. Get a grip!
- Grant, London
Warner Brothers are very hot on IP law, generally because most of the films they currently produce are absolute tripe and lose them money, it's only Potter and the odd one hit wonder that keep them going.
- Bob, Cheam
Sorry, but the law is quite clear: she can't use someone else's property without paying for that use. This is not some poor little woman trying to have a dinner for a few friends: She is in BUSINESS and is essentially running a restaurant out of her home.
Being a single mother has NOTHING to do with her violation of copyright law.
- Trunk, US
