From the moment there were Sherlock Holmes fans, there was Sherlock Holmes fanfiction. In almost every conceivable way, Sherlock Holmes fandom informs nearly all major “geek” fandoms that followed it: There’s extensive canon to debate, highly organized fan groups, and most of all, fan-penned stories which often directly contradict the established canon of the characters. Usually, this results in fun debates, but when it comes to Sherlock Holmes, it occasionally results in lawsuits.
Currently, Conan Doyle Estate Ltd is suing Netflix in regard to the upcoming Sherlock Holmes spin-off, Enola Holmes. Here’s why their claims are baseless, why the history of Sherlock Holmes pastiches proves them wrong, and why Arthur Conan Doyle would hate what they’re doing in his name.
Conan Doyle Estate Ltd is suing author Nancy Springer, Netflix, and pretty much anyone else associated with both the Enola Holmes books and upcoming Netflix TV adaptation.
Currently, Conan Doyle Estate Ltd is suing Netflix in regard to the upcoming Sherlock Holmes spin-off, Enola Holmes. Here’s why their claims are baseless, why the history of Sherlock Holmes pastiches proves them wrong, and why Arthur Conan Doyle would hate what they’re doing in his name.
Conan Doyle Estate Ltd is suing author Nancy Springer, Netflix, and pretty much anyone else associated with both the Enola Holmes books and upcoming Netflix TV adaptation.
- 6/26/2020
- by Kayti Burt
- Den of Geek
Robert Downey Jr. has played legendary detective Sherlock Holmes in two feature films directed by Guy Ritchie — “Sherlock Holmes” (2009) and “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” (2011) — and now the actor is preserving the character’s legacy in an even greater way by serving as honorary chair of “Searching for Sherlock: The Game’s Afoot.” The project is a joint effort between the UCLA Film and Television Archive and Baker Street Irregulars and seeks to discover long-lost Sherlock Holmes movies from the silent film era and beyond.
“Sherlock Holmes is really an international phenomenon,” UCLA Film & Television Archive director Jan-Christopher Horak told the Los Angeles Times. “We decided that it would really be worthwhile to, first of all, do a research project and find out how many of these Sherlock Holmes films survived and in what condition, and what we at UCLA Film and TV archive could then do to preserve some of them.
“Sherlock Holmes is really an international phenomenon,” UCLA Film & Television Archive director Jan-Christopher Horak told the Los Angeles Times. “We decided that it would really be worthwhile to, first of all, do a research project and find out how many of these Sherlock Holmes films survived and in what condition, and what we at UCLA Film and TV archive could then do to preserve some of them.
- 9/6/2019
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Sherlock Holmes, meet 7th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Richard Posner. In June, Judge Posner decided that much of the Sherlock Holmes canon was in the public domain. He ruled in favor of author Leslie Klinger, arguing that copyright has expired on most Sherlock Holmes story elements since all but 10 of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories predate 1923. In determining this, Posner rejected the Doyle estate's arguments that Holmes was a "complex" character whose fictional personality couldn't be dismantled into in- and out-of-copyright parts. Story 'Mr. Holmes': First Look at Ian McKellen as Sherlock On Monday,
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- 8/4/2014
- by Eriq Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Nodding to such entertainment fare as Star Wars, Shakespeare and Amos 'n' Andy, and pointing to the value of the public domain, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed a judgment holding that much of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes is free for public use. Last year, Leslie Klinger, an author, editor and Sherlock Holmes expert, filed a lawsuit against the Doyle Estate in the midst of preparing In the Company of Sherlock Holmes, a collection of short stories by contemporary authors inspired by the Doyle canon. Photos 'Sherlock': 10 Stills From Season 3 Doyle's heirs asserted a license
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- 6/16/2014
- by Eriq Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sherlock Holmes has entered the public domain. After being published by Arthur Conan Doyle in 1887, the series is now no longer under copyright. Or most of it isn't, at least.
Federal judge Ruben Castillo ruled that all of the Sherlock Holmes stories written before the year 1923 have entered the public domain. The 10 or so stories written after that date -- which include storylines like Dr. Watson's second wife and Sherlock Holmes' retirement -- will still remain under copyright.
This decision was made after author Leslie Klinger wrote the book "The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes" and contributed to the anthology "In the Company of Sherlock Holmes," and was then threatened by Doyle's estate. Klinger went to get a judicial declaration saying that, by copyright law, the Sherlock Holmes stories belong in public domain.
The traditional law is that copyright life ends 95 years after publication or after the life of the...
Federal judge Ruben Castillo ruled that all of the Sherlock Holmes stories written before the year 1923 have entered the public domain. The 10 or so stories written after that date -- which include storylines like Dr. Watson's second wife and Sherlock Holmes' retirement -- will still remain under copyright.
This decision was made after author Leslie Klinger wrote the book "The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes" and contributed to the anthology "In the Company of Sherlock Holmes," and was then threatened by Doyle's estate. Klinger went to get a judicial declaration saying that, by copyright law, the Sherlock Holmes stories belong in public domain.
The traditional law is that copyright life ends 95 years after publication or after the life of the...
- 12/29/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
Sherlock Holmes is not dead. The BBC recently made that clear in a mini-episode for Sherlock. Now, much of what we know about the popular detective character belongs to all. So says a federal judge in Illinois tasked with determining whether a character who first appeared in publication in 1887 could still be in copyright. The lawsuit was brought by Leslie Klinger, an author, editor and Sherlock Holmes expert who has written The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes and contributed to an anthology entitled In the Company of Sherlock Holmes. Klinger reported being threatened by the estate of Sir Arthur Conan
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- 12/27/2013
- by Eriq Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has finally answered a lawsuit brought by Leslie Klinger, an author, editor and Sherlock Holmes expert who is attempting to demonstrate that the copyright has expired on major story elements of the famous detective. Klinger sued in February and wants an order that enjoins the Doyle estate from further asserting certain rights. Throughout the years, there's been many versions of Sherlock Holmes including Warner Bros.' two recent films starring Robert Downey Jr. and CBS' Elementary, which gives a modern take on the character. Klinger worked on the book, In the Company of
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- 9/13/2013
- by Eriq Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In February, Leslie Klinger, the author of The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes, brought a lawsuit in Illinois federal court that sought a declaratory judgment that the copyright has expired on Sherlock Holmes story elements and an order that would prohibit the estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle from asserting certain rights to the popular detective. What came next was somewhat surprising. Story: 'Sherlock' Finds New Villain for Season 3 Despite the fact that Sherlock Holmes has experienced a revival of late with two Warner Bros. films, a BBC series, and the hit CBS show Elementary, the Doyle heirs failed to respond. In late June, the
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- 7/30/2013
- by Eriq Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, despite somehow seeming to pass through theaters without nearly as much fanfare as one might expect, was one of the year’s best, and the exception that proves the sequel rule.
This time Sherlock takes on Moriarty, who is delivered brilliantly by Jared Harris, and finds himself pushed to the limit of his abilities. One of the best aspects of this particular “episode” in Sherlock’s story is that much of what needs to be figured out is simply what Moriarty’s game is exactly. Holmes sees the web, and pieces together the clues that lead to Moriarty as the designer of some sinister scheme or other, but there’s a lot of leg and mental work that go into finding his ultimate goal.
This not only allows for the usual fun that is just watching Sherlock Holmes be Sherlock Holmes, but gives us...
This time Sherlock takes on Moriarty, who is delivered brilliantly by Jared Harris, and finds himself pushed to the limit of his abilities. One of the best aspects of this particular “episode” in Sherlock’s story is that much of what needs to be figured out is simply what Moriarty’s game is exactly. Holmes sees the web, and pieces together the clues that lead to Moriarty as the designer of some sinister scheme or other, but there’s a lot of leg and mental work that go into finding his ultimate goal.
This not only allows for the usual fun that is just watching Sherlock Holmes be Sherlock Holmes, but gives us...
- 6/19/2012
- by Marc Eastman
- AreYouScreening.com
Blu-ray Review
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Directed by: Guy Ritchie
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Jared Harris, Noomi Rapace
Running Time: 2 hrs 9 mins
Rating: PG-13
Own it on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack or Digital Download 6.12.12
Be sure to check out the free Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows movie app for iPad2 or Kindle Fire. The app synchs with the Blu-ray disc to start exploring the rich and exciting history of Sherlock Holmes. http://bit.ly/JlZkvR
Plot: Sherlock Holmes (Downey Jr.) and his sidekick Dr. Watson (Jude Law) are thrown together once again. This time they must try and defeat the infamous Professor Moriarty (Harris).
Overall
I’m not someone who is upset by the updated, action-focused Sherlock Holmes. This is mainly because of the charm of Downey Jr. and Law in the roles of Holmes and Dr. Watson, but also because there is still intelligence. Sure it’s a movie trick,...
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Directed by: Guy Ritchie
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Jared Harris, Noomi Rapace
Running Time: 2 hrs 9 mins
Rating: PG-13
Own it on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack or Digital Download 6.12.12
Be sure to check out the free Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows movie app for iPad2 or Kindle Fire. The app synchs with the Blu-ray disc to start exploring the rich and exciting history of Sherlock Holmes. http://bit.ly/JlZkvR
Plot: Sherlock Holmes (Downey Jr.) and his sidekick Dr. Watson (Jude Law) are thrown together once again. This time they must try and defeat the infamous Professor Moriarty (Harris).
Overall
I’m not someone who is upset by the updated, action-focused Sherlock Holmes. This is mainly because of the charm of Downey Jr. and Law in the roles of Holmes and Dr. Watson, but also because there is still intelligence. Sure it’s a movie trick,...
- 6/12/2012
- by Jeff Bayer
- The Scorecard Review
Robert Downey, Jr upset the world's foremost Sherlock Holmes expert by calling the super sleuth's sidekick by his first name in his new movie.
The actor befriended Malibu, California-based tax lawyer Leslie Klinger while preparing to play Holmes in Guy Ritchie's sequel Game of Shadows but they fell out when the know-all saw the film for the first time.
Downey, Jr says, "I guess I dropped the ball. He was very upset... I said, 'Les, what happened?' He said, 'You called him John!' I was like, 'John Watson, that's his name...'
"He goes, 'He would never call him John. Only call him Watson or Mr. Watson...' It didn't feel right when I said it; I should have trusted my instinct."
And the actor insists he has taken Klinger's comments about his portrayal very seriously: "Thank God there are experts. People take (Arthur Conan) Doyle's interpretations of these characters so seriously. They're fantastic books."...
The actor befriended Malibu, California-based tax lawyer Leslie Klinger while preparing to play Holmes in Guy Ritchie's sequel Game of Shadows but they fell out when the know-all saw the film for the first time.
Downey, Jr says, "I guess I dropped the ball. He was very upset... I said, 'Les, what happened?' He said, 'You called him John!' I was like, 'John Watson, that's his name...'
"He goes, 'He would never call him John. Only call him Watson or Mr. Watson...' It didn't feel right when I said it; I should have trusted my instinct."
And the actor insists he has taken Klinger's comments about his portrayal very seriously: "Thank God there are experts. People take (Arthur Conan) Doyle's interpretations of these characters so seriously. They're fantastic books."...
- 12/18/2011
- WENN
Leslie Klinger has made a name for himself as one of the leading annotators of popular fiction. He first won acclaim for his New Annotated Sherlock Holmes, which took an in-depth look at Arthur Conan Dyle's timeless detective. And Klinger's followed that up with The New Annotated Dracula, which, while exhaustively researched, has some fun with Bram Stoker's vampire count by treating Stoker's original novel -- which famously uses countless real-world details of the Victorian period to create a startling air of authenticity -- as though it was non-fiction. I recently chatted with Klinger, who's now annotating Neil Gaiman's Sandman, about his love of Dracula, on the fun of...
- 9/17/2010
- FEARnet
Neil Gaiman's multi-volume masterwork The Sandman is one of the most popular and critically praised comic books of the last twenty-five years. But if you think you've fully experienced the saga in its numerous paperback, hardcover and Absolute slipcased editions, think again. Leslie Klinger, the fellow behind The Annotated Sherlock Holmes and The Annotated Dracula, is applying his literary detective skills once again to what should be the definitive annotated version of the DC/Vertigo series. Hit the jump to learn what Klinger told me about the project. "Neil Gaiman is a friend," said Klinger. "We actually met through Sherlock Holmes circles. He is very enthusiastic...
- 7/5/2010
- FEARnet
Our lingerie-clad neighbors on the magazine racks are showing some teeth along with... their racks in their October issue.
Yes, in the spirit of the season, our friends over at Playboy are vamping it up for the fall, and have shared with Fango the cover for the mag (see it full-sized below), which hits stores and Playboy Digital this Friday.
Given the success of the HBO series True Blood and the The Twilight Saga of books and films, there is no denying that pop culture today is enthralled with all things vampire. The October issue of Playboy seeks to explain this sexy phenomenon with a history of vampire lore accompanied by a seductive eight-page pictorial.
“Love Bites” offers historical insight into the sexualization of the vampire, beginning with Bela Lugosi’s compelling portrayal of Dracula, but it is the eight pages of accompanying photos that truly demonstrate the seductive power of bloodsuckers.
Yes, in the spirit of the season, our friends over at Playboy are vamping it up for the fall, and have shared with Fango the cover for the mag (see it full-sized below), which hits stores and Playboy Digital this Friday.
Given the success of the HBO series True Blood and the The Twilight Saga of books and films, there is no denying that pop culture today is enthralled with all things vampire. The October issue of Playboy seeks to explain this sexy phenomenon with a history of vampire lore accompanied by a seductive eight-page pictorial.
“Love Bites” offers historical insight into the sexualization of the vampire, beginning with Bela Lugosi’s compelling portrayal of Dracula, but it is the eight pages of accompanying photos that truly demonstrate the seductive power of bloodsuckers.
- 9/10/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (James Zahn)
- Fangoria
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