Fashion
The 9¾ Harry Potter-themed Hong Kong cafe has been sued by Warner Bros for copyright infringement. The cafe, open since 2017, has never claimed to have a formal relationship with the Harry Potter franchise – although it is festooned with art and props made famous in the popular book and movie series. Trademarks registered by the studio within the territory of Hong Kong, including “Harry Potter”, “quidditch”, “muggles”, “Professor McGonagall” and “dementors” are used liberally at the venue. Iconic features and images from the films are used in the cafe’s interior design, including the Gryffindor coat of arms and the Hogwarts Express train ticket for Platform 9¾.
Located on Yin Chong Street in Mong Kok, the cafe features wall-mounted wands and broomsticks, stuffed owls, portraits of witches and wizards, and faux candlelight. There is even a half-disappearing luggage trolley, as featured at King’s Cross Station, complete with Hedwig in a cage.
The drinks menu of the Harry Potter-themed Hong Kong cafe includes some Harry Potter-specific concoctions, such as the Polyjuice Potion, Amortentia love potion, golden Felix Felicis (aka “liquid luck”), and Veritaserum. Visitors 18 years and older can down a pint of Butterbeer.
For food, the cafe serves Western starters and mains named after mythical creatures and charms from the Harry Potter series, such as the soft-shell crab Aragog salad, Romanian longhorn pumpkin pasta (after one of the dragons from Goblet of Fire), and Prior Incantato cream of mushroom soup.
Warner Bros is seeking an unspecified sum of damages, a removal order plus multiple injunctions.
