Judge Robert P. Patterson Jr. of Federal District Court in Manhattan ruled that a fan-created guidebook to J. K. Rowling’s best-selling series Harry Potter was borrowing too much from the original and thus blocked publication of the book, written by Steven Jan Vander Ark. Patterson also awarded the plaintiffs $6,750 in damages.

The book, originally scheduled for a November 2007 release, would have been sold for $24.99.

Patterson has heard testimonies from both Rowling and Ark, as well as other witnesses, regarding the controversial “Harry Potter Lexicon.” The 42-year-old creator of Harry Potter, arguably the most overrated contemporary writer, said the unauthorized book amounts to “wholesale theft” of 17 years of her life’s work. Her aggressive move against the lexicon alienated a significant portion of her fans.

Ark operated a fan website of the same name for years and was even praised for his work by Rowling. The 400-page book, listing alphabetically names, places, potions, spells, creatures and objects present in the Harry Potter world, is based on the website.

Ark told the court that he was a former “Star Trek” fan and that 1998’s “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” the first in the series, had been love at first sight for him. He described Rowling as his literary idol and argued that using massive portions of her own writing in his lexicon had been inevitable, as the world she presented came from the realms of her own imagination.

Ark was visibly impressed by the situation of changing status from well-appreciated fan to reviled plagiarizer and even broke down in tears during his testimony. Ark testified in April that he only agreed to put together the encyclopedia after RDR Books owner Roger Rapoport approached him last summer. Rapaport has already told the court that he had assured Ark he would indemnify him in the event of a lawsuit by Rowling.

Ark said he had always thought, before Rapaport came along, that a print version of his lexicon would be a violation of copyright law. RDR Books is a small, Michigan-based publisher. Rapaport previously called the lawsuit a “David and Goliath battle.” RDR also says that it is considering an appeal of the decision.