Moscow
A character in the new Harry Potter film bears an uncanny resemblance to President Vladimir Putin, and Russians smell an insult. Dobby the house elf, a computer-animated character in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, has a long nose, buggy eyes, and a pinched expression—just like the president. (Putin, though, is not yet bald.) Internet chat sites in Russia have been all atwitter, with some posters claiming insult on behalf of the president, others on behalf of Dobby. The Moscow newspaper Novaya Gazeta reported that a Russian law firm is planning to sue the film’s producers for appropriating Putin’s likeness without permission. But the paper failed to name the law firm, and other Russian media have speculated that the rumor was trumped up to publicize the film.
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