Advertisement
Hong Kong courts
Hong KongLaw and Crime

Hong Kong Harry Potter-themed cafe sued for copyright infringement by Warner Bros

  • The 9 ¾ Cafe in Mong Kok, which opened in 2017, is bedecked in paraphernalia from the hit books and movie franchise
  • The Hollywood studio says the cafe’s owners is wrongfully infringing on its copyright, even though the cafe does not claim any relation to the franchise

Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
0
The front door of 9 3/4 Cafe in Mong Kok, which has been sued by Warner Bros Entertainment, for “wrongful acts of trade infringement, copyright infringement and passing off”, and demanded an unspecified sum of damages plus multiple injunctions. Photo: Winson Wong
Jasmine Siu

Warner Bros Entertainment has sued a Harry Potter-themed cafe in Hong Kong for copyright infringement.

In a writ filed to the High Court on Tuesday, the Hollywood giant accused the 9 3/4 Cafe in Mong Kok of infringing its copyright to its original artistic works, and demanded an unspecified sum of damages, a removal order plus multiple injunctions.

At issue was the cafe’s use of Hong Kong-registered trademarks that included “Harry Potter”, “quidditch” and “muggles”, and Chinese names such as “Professor McGonagall’s magical salad” and “the dementor’s kiss”.

The cafe is being sued for its use of Hong Kong-registered trademarks, including “Harry Potter”, “quidditch” and “muggles”. Photo: Xinhua
The cafe is being sued for its use of Hong Kong-registered trademarks, including “Harry Potter”, “quidditch” and “muggles”. Photo: Xinhua

The California-based company also took issue with the cafe displaying iconic elements seen in the movie franchise, like the luggage trolley half-submerged in a wall, the Gryffindor coat of arms and the Hogwarts Express train ticket for Platform 9 3/4.

The listed defendants are DKAJ Limited and its four directors: Kelvin Ching Kai-lim, Tsang Chiu-yeung, Wan Chin-yeung and Leung Chin-hei.

Advertisement