India's 'Hari Puttar' and the US lawsuit

The film studio Warner Bros has taken umbrage at the title of a Hindi film called Hari Puttar – A Comedy of Terrors for its resemblance to the Harry Potter franchise.

A Mumbai-based production company, Mirchi Movies, is intent on releasing its "Hari Puttar" title on 12 September. Warner Bros has filed a lawsuit, with the case due to be heard by the Bombay High Court.

Deborah Lincoln, a spokeswoman for Warner Bros, said: "Warner Bros values and protects intellectual property rights. However, it is our policy not to discuss publicly the details of any ongoing litigation."

But voices in India insist the provenance for the "Hari Puttar" film is not the boy wizard created by J K Rowling but a comic name that was created after the release of the first of the Harry Potter films.

"Hari is a popular Indian name while 'Puttar' means 'son' in Punjabi," Munish Purii, chief executive of Mirchi Movies, said. "Since the case is sub judice, we can't comment. However, we registered the 'Hari Puttar' title in 2005."