SCHOLASTIC SUES OVER 'POTTER' BREACH + NYT BUYS BOOK IN NY STORE (WSJ, BBC, NYT)

By Nancy Vialatte

Following Internet leaks and early deliveries of the seventh and final �Harry Potter� book, Scholastic Corp., the series� US publisher, on Wednesday sued two Chicago companies, DeepDiscount.com for dispatching copies of the books early and Levy Entertainment for failing to ensure the books were not sent out. The build-up to Saturday�s release of the book and maintaining the shroud of secrecy around it were all going so well. But, now, as The Wall Street Journal says, Scholastic Corp. needs Hermione's fabled Time Turner device.

The publisher would dearly love to go back and prevent the premature distribution of as many as 1,200 copies of J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" in the U.S. as well as the apparent leak online of a copy of the book. (WSJ)

Despite the extraordinary steps taken to protect the book�s integrity, purported Potters have been turning up all week. One version allegedly delivered early, says the WSJ, sold for $250 on eBay. At least one was delivered to a home in Maryland, and the Baltimore Sun posted a brief review of the book online yesterday afternoon, though it didn't explain how it obtained its copy.

Today, even The New York Times posted a review today and said that a copy of the book had been purchased at a New York store.

To demonstrate the kind of security frenzy that surrounds the book, the Journal points out that Barnes & Noble Inc. uses an algorithm to help ensure that the more than 500,000 copies it ships out to individual buyers arrive on the appointed day.

Copies of "Deathly Hallows" began arriving at the retailer's two major warehouses several weeks ago. There, they are separated by zip code and shipped out using a complex mathematical formula to compute exactly how long it takes to deliver a book to a specific neighborhood. "We have all this built in to our system," says Marie J. Toulantis, CEO of Barnes&Noble.com.; "We know, depending on the shipper and zip code, exactly how long it will take to get the book to a customer's home on time." (WSJ)

But other companies don�t seem quite as fussy. The Baltimore Sun reported yesterday that a man in Maryland had received a copy early from online retailer DeepDiscount.com, mailed from the retailer's warehouses in Chicago. Rob Broggi, director of merchandising at DeepDiscount.com, described the event to the Sun as a "freak accident" and said the matter was being investigated.

In its filing, Scholastic alleged that Infinity Resources Inc., doing business as DeepDiscount.com, shipped "Deathly Hallows" as much as a week "before the contractually permitted shipping date" which could explain the early copies.

"This isn't just one copy that got out by accident," Kyle Good, a spokeswoman for Scholastic, told the Journal. "We're asking for damages but can't yet quantify them," said Lisa Holton, president of Scholastic Trade and Book Fairs.

In making their deals with Scholastic, book sellers were instructed to keep tight-lipped about the logistics of shipping the highly coveted book.

Those familiar with the direct-mail business weren't shocked that some customers have gotten early copies, but said some would be upset. "This is a big oops," says Denny Hatch, who writes an enewsletter called BusinessCommonSense.com. John Schulte, president of Minneapolis-based National Mail Order Association, a professional organization of people involved in direct marketing, says mistakes happen. "Everything is run by humans, and if somebody typed in the wrong ship date, then you have a problem," he says. (WSJ)

But forget about the business-side for a minute. What about the fans? Melissa Anelli, who owns The Leaky Cauldron web site, told the Journal that it is being flooded with emails from concerned readers. "I can't believe the intensity of some people's desire to ruin it for other people," she said.

In a posting yesterday on J.K. Rowling�s web site, the author wrote: "We are almost there! As launch night looms, let's all, please, ignore the misinformation popping up on the web and in the press on the plot of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I'd like to ask everyone who calls themselves a Potter fan to help preserve the secrecy of the plot for all those who are looking forward to reading the book at the same time on publication day. In a very short time you will know EVERYTHING!"

Related Links

Mischief Unmanaged (WSJ, sub)
Potter publisher sues over breach (BBC)
An Epic Showdown as Harry Potter Is Initiated Into Adulthood (NYT)
Early Shipping of �Harry Potter� Brings Lawsuit (NYT)