Estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Mysteriously Absent

Sherlock Holmes has enjoyed quite the revival in recent years.  Recent feature films, a BBC series, and a CBS series are all licensed by the estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. 

However, a recent book by Leslie Klinger comprising new stories about Holmes from modern day authors elicited a letter from the estate demanding licensing fees.  Klinger “took the estate to court claiming the copyright on certain story elements had expired and he should be allowed to publish.”  A default judgment was entered after no one representing the estate showed.  There is still no response as Klinger has requested a judgment rendering the estate unable to collect any more licensing revenue.

See Nick Clark, Sherlock Holmes Mystery: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Estate and the Case of Character Licensing Rights, The Independent, Aug. 1, 2013.