Is it legal to have Harry Potter in my title?

I love a good Harry Potter Book like almost anyone, but I have never dressed up. I’ve gotten a wand at Ollivanders and been sorted into my House, but I’ve never tried playing Quidditch. I have visited the Harry Potter Studios in London, drank butter beer, and explored Privet Drive, but I have never started a Harry Potter rock band, written a lick of fan fiction, or stayed up until midnight to get the next book in the series.

I am a fan, but there are others who experience this story as a much more significant part of their lives than I ever will. They have created, as Jenkins would call it, an affinity space. They band together on something they all desperately love, and they use it as a source and inspiration to create. They instantly connect on it. Then they build lasting relationships on that foundation of Harry Potter. These relationships are full of love, understanding, and learning. While watching “We are Wizards” I loved watching the two little boys being creative and writing their own songs. It seemed like a wonderful activity for them to be doing. I don’t remember trying anything like that when I was a child. 

I noticed, while watching the film, that I am more accepting of the younger people than the older, and I was also more accepting based on skill level. Yeah, Harry and the Potters are not the most musically talented of bands, but if you had a chance to do something like that at their age, why not? They are young and unmarried, the perfect time for an adventure. Some of the other bands, I was much less sure about. The people were older and supporting families, and often they didn’t have the most melodic of voices. I judged them and wondered why they would choose to do this and risk what they have. But on the other hand, Brad Neely, who did the “Wizard People, Dear Reader”, has my full backing. I honestly can’t explain it; there is an intangible line between being childish and creatively using children stories as an adult artist. I think the reason for this apprehension relates to a concept we talked about in class: this mimicry and remix is much like an apprenticeship. When I think of apprentices, I think of younger people; people who don’t have much going on, but are working towards a career or something bigger.

The last topic that I find extremely interesting and also hazy in some areas: copyrights and rules. J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros Studios own the Harry Potter story, right? What about the people who have spent the majority of their lives in the story? The story and characters are so widely known as to become part of common knowledge and conversation. To be honest, I don’t know what the answer is. I do believe that people should be able to write fan fiction; it improves literacy and helps people, kids especially, to begin to find their voice. Other than that I’m not sure. Can people make Harry Potter themed crafts and sell them on etsy? Can they profit off a Harry Potter inspired Youtube channel. I just don’t know, and that’s why misunderstandings occur. There will likely be more misunderstandings until the kinks are ironed out in the legislation for this.