French Potter translator arrested

Police in Aix-en-Provence region in southern France have reportedly arrested a teenager suspected of posting atranslation of the latest Harry Potter book on the web - ahead of the official French release date.

London, Aug.8 : Police in Aix-en-Provence region in southern France have reportedly arrested a teenager suspected of posting atranslation of the latest Harry Potter book on the web - ahead of the official French release date.

The 16-year-old from the was taken into custody after a translation of the book's first three chapters appeared on the web just days after the English-language release in late July, Le Parisien newspaper reported.

"The anti-counterfeiting police discovered the affair and contacted J.K.Rowling's lawyer," said a spokeswoman for publisher Gallimard, which handles the French editions of the Harry Potter novels.

Police were not immediately available for comment.

The official French language version of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is scheduled for release on October 26.

The translator is still working on the text, the spokeswoman said.

According to publishers, the seventh Harry Potter book is the fastest selling book in history with some 11 million English-language copies sold in the first 24 hours.

Many French book stores are selling the English-language version ahead of the French-language release, The Sun reported.

ANI