A Chinese publishing house has refuted claims that the author of the forthcoming Chinese children's novel The Adventurous Prince plagiarized parts from the English best-selling book, Harry Potter.

Jiangsu Fine Arts Publishing House told the Global Times today it was confident the work of writer Zhou Yiwen is original and is willing to defend the book, which is due for release at the end of this month, against any law suit filed by Harry Potter author JK Rowling and her publishers.

"We have not received any legal notices from Rowling or her publishing house Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. But we will keep track of developments," said a PR spokesman for Jiangsu Fine Arts Publishing House.

"We are confident our book and its content are totally original. It has been thoroughly checked by our editors," he said.

Chinese media alleged Tuesday that Zhou lifted 18 specific details from the Harry Potter series and that Rowling is preparing to file lawsuits.
If found guilty, Zhou and his publishers could face a fine of around US$138 million, the reports claimed.


A boy enjoying the book before the poster Photo: Reuters
Zhou Yiwen strongly dismissed the claims as "ridiculous."
"It is impossible for me to plagiarize. I have heard nothing from JK Rowling, or anybody else," he told reporters.

He added: "I have my own imagination and creativity. It is not necessary for me to copy or plagiarize literary productions from other authors in other countries. The novel is my own work."

The Adventurous Prince is set to become a bestseller. About 100,000 copies have already been sent to local schools nationwide to test the market before its official launch and print run, and were well received by students.

In a twist worthy of a Harry Potter adventure, it was revealed this week that JK Rowling and her publishing house is facing accusations that the multi-millionaire British author copied "substantial parts" of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire from deceased fellow British writer Adrian Jacobs.

"This claim is without merit and will be defended vigorously," said Rowling's publishers, Bloomsbury, today.

Source: The Global Times