P22’s Complaint alleges that its “Cezanne” typeface appears on souvenirs sold at “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” and through the theme park’s web site, including, for example, the “ Hedwig pillow” and the “ Ministry of Magic Messenger Bag.” P22 has sued Universal and the manufacturers of the licensed products.
One of P22’s most popular fonts is “ Cezanne,” a lyrical, swooping lettering based on the handwriting of artist Paul Cezanne. P22 Type Foundry creates and distributes computer fonts inspired by art, design, and history, often working with museums and foundations to create authorized versions of historical lettering styles or typefaces based on the handwriting of famous figures. Instead, an independent font company has asserted, in a lawsuit filed on July 5 in the Eastern District of New York, that merchandise sold at Universal Studios’ “ The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” theme park in Orlando makes unauthorized use of one of its typefaces.
Rowling stole her billion-dollar story from an earlier work. This is not another case of an obscure author claiming that J.K. Just in time for the release of the final installment in the Harry Potter film franchise, a related branch of the Harry Potter empire finds itself involved in a curious copyright dispute.
