“FOOTBALL star Kerem Akturkoglu is facing a lawsuit from a major movie studio – over his wand-waving “Harry Potter”-inspired goal celebration. The Fenerbahçe forward, 27, is being sued by Warner Bros for copyright infringement after regularly using his Expelliarmus celebration for the last four years. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! Fenerbahce attacker”, — write: www.thesun.co.uk
The Fenerbahçe forward, 27, is being sued by Warner Bros for copyright infringement after regularly using his Expelliarmus celebration for the last four years.
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Fenerbahce attacker Kerem Akturkoglu is being sued by Warner BrosCredit: Getty
His celebration is inspired by the iconic Harry Potter franchiseCredit: Handout Some fans have even coined the former Benfica attacker, who has 49 caps for Turkey‘s international team, “Kerem Potter”.
The nickname came from an social media post where he wore round glasses and his former football club’s red and yellow kit.
Eagle-eyed fans started pointed out how he was donning Harry Potter‘s Gryffindor colours – before dubbing him the “Turkish wizard”.
Hollywood giant Warner Bros said “Harry Potter“, “Hogwarts” and “Gryffindor” are registered trademarks in Turkey.
The lawsuit claimed that gestures such as the one Akturkoglu is known for cannot be used without explicit permission.
The American firm said these trademarks extended beyond the iconic books and films and were globally recognised with significant commercial value.
Court documents included trademark registration tables and screenshots of the star’s Instagram and Twitter posts.
The movie giant claimed the footy player referenced these marks directly.
It was also reported his social media videos used music from the beloved franchise – including the popular tune “Hedwig’s Theme”.
Footage showed some of his posts using animations resembling Harry Potter characters, the Hogwarts crest, and decorations similar to the films.
The filing claimed he performed Harry Potter-esque celebrations on the pitch – including wand-like gestures.
Warner Bros reportedly argued the use of all the evidence they provided was unauthorised – and even amounted to both copyright and trademark infringement.
The company said each instance violated the economic and moral rights of the rights holder under the Intellectual and Industrial Property Rights Law.
Warner Bros reportedly asked the court to order an expert examination of the player’s social media posts.
This analysis would then determine whether the clips contained copyrighted music, characters, or other visual elements from the Harry Potter universe.
The petition also reportedly asked that this examination be carried out secretly without notifying the player.
The star’s lawyer said: “Kerem Aktürkoğlu was born in 1998. The Harry Potter character began to spread worldwide in 1997.
“It wouldn’t be right to find legal issues with Akturkoglu celebrating a goal after being influenced by a beloved character from his childhood.”
Ex-Galatasaray player Kerem Akturkoglu celebrates after scoring a goal during a Champions League clash with Manchester United in 2023Credit: Getty
The star was said to resemble the beloved character by fans on social mediaCredit: Instagram / @keremakturkoglu