The authorities and the French publishing house that paid a great deal of money for the right to publish the French language version of the book were not so delighted, however. The teen’s website was shut down and the teen was forced to spend a night in jail. He was released the following day, and now faces charges for copyright violation.

So how might sharing this story with students enhance their understanding of copyright? It puts intellectual property issues in a context that is real to students. Students may sympathize with the frustration of the French teenagers at having to wait an additional, agonizing three months for the final Harry Potter book while the “official” translation is prepared, but they likely also respect and admire J.K. Rowling and the years of work she has put into creating the books they all know and love. Some students may argue that J.K. Rowling is so rich now that a little bit of unauthorized copying doesn’t hurt. The students in the class who love to write may feel differently—couldn’t any one of them write the next bestseller? And, if so, shouldn’t they be entitled to full payment for their work?