KOLKATA: An Indian court has fined the organisers of a Hindu festival in east India $50,000 (two million rupees) for using images from the best-selling Harry Potter books and movies without permission, the books’ distributor said.

Penguin India took legal action on behalf of author J.K. Rowling over a temporary shrine erected in the West Bengal city of Calcutta to honour the Hindu goddess of valour, Durga. The shrine was decorated to resemble Hogwarts School where the fictional boy wizard is taught his skills, and featured stills from the Harry Potter movies.Delhi High Court ruled that the organisers of the Durga Puja festival must remove the display or pay the fine for copyright violation, Penguin India’s regional sales manager Nirmalya Roychowdhury said.

“For using anything related to Harry Potter, written permission is necessary from an appropriate authority. Otherwise legal action can be taken,” Roychowdhury said.

Each year at the festival, different neighbourhoods compete for visitors at their temporary Durga shrines – known as pandals – using images from films or of top-ranking cricket stars to attract attention. Each night, families travel around the city visiting the pandals and eating at the food stalls around the shrine.

Religion often takes a back seat at the nonetheless important Hindu festival, which is also celebrated with new clothes and gifts. In West Bengal, the festival has something of a carnival atmosphere, and people of all religions join the celebrations.

The festival organisers expressed dismay at the ruling. They planned to ask the court on Friday to reconsider its ruling and allow the shrine to stand for the five-day festival beginning Oct 17 without payment of the fine.—AP