Perspective
Mar. 4, 2013
Sherlock Holmes and the case of the public domain
Arthur Conan Doyle published most of his Sherlock Holmes stories from 1887 to 1927. Works published before 1923 are likely in the public domain, but those published after Jan 1, 1923, could remain protected until 2023. By Mark Litwak
In a suit filed recently in federal court in Chicago[1], a top Sherlock Holmes scholar alleged that many licensing fees paid to the Arthur Conan Doyle estate have been unnecessary, since the main characters and elements of their story derive from materials in the public domain. The suit was brought by Leslie S. Klinger, the editor of the 3,000-page "Annotated Sherlock Holmes" and other Sherlock Holmes-related books. It stems from his boo...
To continue reading, please subscribe.
For only $95 a month (the price of 2 article purchases)
Receive unlimited article access and full access to our archives,
Daily Appellate Report, award winning columns, and our
Verdicts and Settlements.
Or
$795 for an entire year!
For only $95 a month (the price of 2 article purchases)
Receive unlimited article access and full access to our archives,
Daily Appellate Report, award winning columns, and our
Verdicts and Settlements.
Or
$795 for an entire year!
Or access this article for $45
(Purchase provides 7-day access to this article. Printing, posting or downloading is not allowed.)
Already a subscriber?
Sign In