Representatives for the estate of late fantasy writer Adrian Jacobs filed suit last year (09), alleging the author approached Rowling's U.K. publishers Bloomsbury in 1987, 10 years before his death, and unsuccessfully attempted to sell them his Willy The Wizard stories.

Rowling fought back, branding accusations she stole his ideas ""absurd"" and attempting to have the case dismissed - but Justice David Kitchin has rejected her request.

Kitchin ruled there is a chance that Jacobs' lawyers will be successful, but admits it is ""improbable"", according to the Associated Press.