Rowling forces Potter book withdrawal

J K Rowling's lawyers have forced the publisher of a book on the Harry Potter phenomenon to withdraw it from shops because they objected to the cover.

The dust jacket of The Irresistible Rise of Harry Potter gave the misleading impression that it was officially endorsed, the author's legal team said. Its purple colour scheme, typography and use of star symbols allegedly created the perception that it had been approved by Rowling.

Verso, despite insisting it had no intention of giving the impression the book was authorised, backed down and pulled it from the shelves.

But the publisher responded by printing a new version of the cover, carrying the irreverent disclaimer: "Verso is delighted to make it clear that this book is not part of the Harry Potter series. Neither the font nor the colour is intended to confuse readers – after all, Warner Bros, J K Rowling and Bloomsbury Publishing plc have spent very substantial sums of money marketing, advertising and protecting the Harry Potter brand."

The book, by Andrew Blake, an academic, examines the impact of the Harry Potter phenomenon on the development of consumer capitalism.

After the contention by Rowling's solicitors, Theodore Goddard, her publisher, Bloomsbury, and Warner Brothers – which makes the Potter films – Verso spent £5,000 withdrawing the book and making a new dust jacket.

Its executive chairman, however, wrote to Theodore Goddard – it was reported in Scotland on Sunday – insisting: "The covers of the various Harry Potter books use shades of red, blue, yellow and green.

"Unless your clients feel that the colour spectrum can be trademarked, our choice of colour does not infringe your client's rights."

A spokeswoman for Rowling – now Britain's highest-earning woman with an estimated fortune of £220m – said the dispute had not been about protecting the Harry Potter brand but ensuring that children were not misled. "All we wanted them to do was make it perfectly clear that it was not authorised by J K Rowling. That's perfectly reasonable."