Bloomsbury Publishing today said the relaunch of the 'Harry Potter' series to tie in with the keenly-awaited movie of the final book would help drive a stronger second half after interim profits fell 48%.

JK Rowling has been named in a lawsuit claiming she stole ideas for her hugely popular and lucrative Harry Potter books from another British author.

JK Rowling is being sued for £500m (€587m) for plagiarism.

The estate of a penniless British writer is suing the publishers behind J.K. Rowling's 'Harry Potter' books, insisting they snubbed him and then used his idea as the basis for the boy wizard franchise.

Takeover speculation and higher metals prices helped drive the London market forward to steady gains today.

Takeover talk in the media sector helped the FTSE 100 Index hold its own above the 4800 threshold today.

Bloomsbury Publishing turned the spotlight away from its Harry Potter series today as it geared up for what it believes will be a record autumn.

Bloomsbury Publishing has seen its pre-tax profits rise by 62.5% with Harry Potter's help.

London shares are making a nervy start after the FTSE 100 Index fell in early trading.

Bloomsbury Publishing is poised for a massive increase in Christmas book sales following the launch of the Harry Potter movie.