London, Feb 19 (IANS) Multi-millionaire J.K. Rowling, who authored the international best-seller 'Harry Potter' books, has vowed to fight a claim that she plagiarised parts of her books and says she is saddened by it.

Rowling has been charged with taking inspiration for her novels from 'The Adventures of Willy the Wizard'.

Solicitors acting for the estate of the late Adrian Jacobs were suing Rowling and her publisher Bloomsbury, Daily Express reported Friday. They filed their claims Wednesday at the High Court in London.

Rowling said: 'I am saddened that yet another claim has been made that I have taken material from another source to write Harry.'

'The fact is I had never heard of the author or the book before the first accusation by those connected to the author's estate in 2004. I have certainly never read the book.

'The claims that are made are not only unfounded but absurd and I am disappointed that I, and my UK publisher Bloomsbury, are put in a position to have to defend ourselves,' she was quoted as saying.

She stressed that they would be 'applying to the court immediately for a ruling that the claim is without merit and should therefore be dismissed without delay'.

The media report said that Jacobs' estate alleged substantial parts of 'The Adventures Of Willy The Wizard' can be found in the fourth book in Rowling's series.

Jacobs, who died in 1997, wrote his book in 1987. It was 13 years before Rowling used a conjuring contest in 'Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire'.

Bloomsbury denied the claims, calling them 'unfounded and untrue'.