Harry Potter lawsuit against Kerem Aktürkoğlu

Warner Bros., one of the world's leading production companies, has taken legal action against Fenerbahçe footballer Kerem Aktürkoğlu, who performs Harry Potter-themed gestures during his goal celebrations.

HARRY POTTER POSTS ADDED TO THE FILE

In the petition submitted to the Istanbul Intellectual and Industrial Property Rights Civil Court, the company pointed out that terms such as “Harry Potter,” “Hogwarts,” and “Gryffindor” are registered in Turkey by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office. It was stated that these trademarks are not limited to books and films but possess high recognition and commercial value worldwide. While the registration information was provided in the table included in the application, it was stated that the footballer made direct references to these brands in his posts.

ALLEGATION OF TRADEMARK INFRINGEMENT

According to the report by Sabah, the documents submitted to the court stated that Aktürkoğlu used the iconic music from the Harry Potter series, “Hedwig's Theme,” in his social media content. It was also reported that the posts included animation figures resembling Harry Potter characters, the Hogwarts crest, scenes evoking the film's atmosphere, and costumes. Warner Bros. argued that both copyright and trademark usage rights were violated, stating that the content was published without obtaining the necessary permissions.

REQUEST FOR EXPERT EXAMINATION

Warner Bros. claimed that the elements in question infringe upon the author's financial and moral rights under the Law on Intellectual and Industrial Property Rights, and also cause unfair competition within the framework of the Turkish Commercial Code. The company requested that the footballer's Instagram Reels video and posts on the X platform be examined by an expert.

In the prepared petition, it was requested to determine whether music, characters, logos, and various visual elements belonging to the Harry Potter universe were indeed used. It was also emphasized that this examination should be carried out without prior notification to the footballer.

News Source: 12punto