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June 7, 2005
Pottermania Gone Wrong
By Sarah HallCertain Muggles are getting a little too carried away over the secrets contained in the upcoming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
On Friday, British police arrested two men suspected of trying to sell stolen copies of the sixth installment in the boy wizard series, which is not due for release until July 16.
U.K. tabloid the Sun reported that it had been contacted about purchasing the book for close to $91,000. The newspaper said it had dispatched a reporter and a photographer to obtain the book with the intent of returning it to the publisher.
According to the Sun, shots were fired as its reporter met with the men in an attempt to buy the book. No one was injured.
London's Daily Mirror said it had also been contacted about buying a copy of the book and that it had notified police of the offer.
Police confirmed they had arrested a 37-year-old man and a 19-year-old man in connection with the incident and had retrieved two copies of the book.
The older man was charged with possession of a handgun and handling a stolen book, while the younger man was charged with the theft of the book and possessing an imitation firearm with the intent of causing fear of violence.
Both men were released on bail and are due in court early next week.
After news of the theft surfaced, J.K. Rowling's legal team obtained an injunction against the two men, prohibiting them from leaking secrets from the book.
"This order was made following our client's discovery that a copy of the forthcoming Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, had been obtained by unauthorized persons who had subsequently offered the book to newspaper journalists," Rowling's lawyers said in a statement.
I don't know why people can't just be patient. The books is coming out in a few weeks! And I'm also amused by the fact that people are so shocked that a criminal had and used a gun. He's a criminal. It's not rocket science folks!
Anyway, read it all here.
Posted by Daffodil at June 7, 2005 1:37 PM
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