Harry Potter’s wand battle as Kano Computing battles Warner Bros for the Magic Caster Wand

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Witches competing with wands is a familiar sight in the Harry Potter franchise – but now companies are competing for the same wands. A British computing company that is developing tools to help children learn to code is at odds with Warner Bros. over the release of a Harry Potter-themed wand game.

Kano Computing, backed by Microsoft, has demanded that Warner Bros. stop marketing the “Magic Caster Wand”, which costs £150.

The London-based startup has alleged that Warner Bros Discovery, the $36 billion media giant that owns the Harry Potter movie rights, is using its ideas and intellectual property without consent.

Kano previously released the “Harry Potter Codec Kit” in a deal with Warner Bros. The set included a digital wand connected to Bluetooth, linked to a tablet, which children could use to play educational games.

However, in an email seen by The Telegraph, Alex Klein, the start-up’s CEO, alleged that Warner Bros. had used the “secretly shared” intellectual property developed by Kano.

A spokesperson for Warner Bros. Discovery said, “The allegations made by Kano are without merit.”

In the email, Mr. Klein asked Warner Bros. executives to provide assurance that they would “cease their go-to-market and product promotion activities.”

Klein said he was exploring legal options unless a “fair commercial arrangement” could be reached.

He told The Telegraph that Kano had been in discussions with Warner Bros. for several years about potential future products.

Warner Bros.’s new wand uses motion sensing, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi to connect to smart home gadgets. This means that a child can use the “magic wand” to turn seemingly smart lights on and off or create sound effects from smart speakers.

Mr. Klein founded Kano a decade ago and has secured investments from Microsoft, LocalGlobe, and Salesforce founder Marc Benioff. It has raised over $50 million from investors.

The company develops tools and software aimed at helping people learn to code. It also branched out into devices aimed at audiophiles, launching a Bluetooth music player that allowed users to remix songs while they were playing.

released STEM Music Player in 2021 in a deal with rapper Kanye West for his album Donda.

In November, Klein confirmed that the company had severed ties with the West over repeated anti-Semitic statements.

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