Harry Potter pre release issues (1)

New 'Harry Potter' book leaked
Last updated Jul 11 2005 12:26 PM PDT

Raincoast Books, the Canadian publisher of the Harry Potter series, is in full damage-control mode after a B.C. store prematurely sold up to 15 copies of the latest book last week.




Raincoast heard about the gaffe on Friday, the day after the books were sold at the Great Canadian Superstore in Coquitlam – more than a week before the July 16 official release.

On Saturday, the B.C. Supreme Court granted Raincoast a court injunction to help get the books back, and keep a lid on the plot.

Raincoast Books announcement
Company spokesperson Jamie Broadhurst says some of the purchasers have voluntarily returned their copies. And he says the company is offering a reward to get the others returned.

"We're asking them to contact us and to temporarily return their copies of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to us," he says.

"And in exchange, what we will do, is on July 16 at one minute past midnight, we will return their copies to them along with a signed autographed bookplate to be affixed in their book from J.K. Rowling, and some gift items as well."

The injunction also bars anyone from leaking the plot of the latest Harry Potter book before 12:01 a.m. this Saturday.

The injunction exempts the book's official public relations campaign.

This latest incident is similar to one in 2003 when a Wal-Mart in Quebec accidentally sold a few copies of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix before the release date.

BRIEFS - FROM JUNE 27, 2005: British man pleads not guilty in Harry Potter theft
Recently, two men in England were charged with theft after allegedly stealing copies of the latest book from a distribution centre. Police say the two tried to sell the book to a newspaper reporter.

About 10.8 million copies are planned for the first printing of The Half-Blood Prince, compared to the 8.5 million for the previous book.

Author J.K. Rowling's tales of an orphaned wizard-in-training have sold more than 200 million copies around the world.