‘Harry Potter’ Author Agrees to Digital Publication for iPod

In a May 27, 2005, article called “Put Away the iPod: ‘Harry Potter’ Unlikely as a Download,” The Wall Street Journal reported that the “Harry Potter” novels were not likely to become available for downloading.

The primary reason: author J.K. Rowling’s previous experiences with unauthorized digital publication of her novels. In the article, Rowling cautioned readers to distrust any ‘Harry Potter’ e-books offered for download on the Internet.

Today, however, it is a different story. The entire “Harry Potter” series became available for download on the iTunes Music Store in fall 2005. Ironically, the reason Rowling, who plans to write the final book in the series this year, was initially against offering downloads was the same reason she decided to finally go digital. “Many ‘Harry Potter’ fans have been keen for digital access for a while, but the deciding factor for me in authorizing this new version is that it will help combat the growing incidents of piracy in this area,” she wrote on her Web site (www.JKRowling.com).

In early December, Rowling still was battling imposter e-ditions, including fake e-books for sale on the mega-auctioneer eBay. On her Web site, she calls for prevention from such retailers, saying “After all, reputable booksellers and auction houses take steps to ensure that signatures are genuine before they put them up for sale.” A spokesperson from eBay told Rowling that “it is the responsibility of the copyright owner to report any listings that violate their rights,” according to Rowling’s Web site.

The books can be downloaded individually or as a box set, complete with extras, such as a J.K. Rowling reading and a digital booklet featuring descriptions of each book, Rowling’s biography and more.

The box set’s “100 hours of wizardry” can be downloaded for “about $100 less than buying all six audio CD sets from your local book store,” reads the Apple iTunes product information.