Conan Doyle Estate, Netflix and Legendary Settle over Enola Holmes Lawsuit

Enola Holmes ⭐️⭐️⭐️½

An update on the use of Sherlock Holmes emotions lawsuit (see: Litigious Arthur Conan Doyle Estate targets Netflix book adaptation Enola Holmes) — it’s been dismissed.

Based on the article quoted below, it seems like the Arthur Conan Doyle Estate got paid something, but how much is not clear.

Is a more emotional Sherlock Holmes protected by copyright? Although that’s dubious, the mystery remains technically unsolved as Netflix, Legendary Pictures and others associated with Enola Holmes have come to a settlement with the Conan Doyle Estate. On Friday, the parties stipulated to dismissal of a lawsuit in New Mexico federal court.

Netflix Settles ‘Enola Holmes’ Lawsuit With Conan Doyle Estate | Hollywood Reporter

Restating my comments on that post over the summer. I don’t like the idea of an estate claiming copyright infringement on an IP they aren’t actively creating new stories. If they are and I’m just missing all the Sherlock Holmes content being produced by the Arthur Conan Doyle estate, please clue me in the comments below.

Instead, they seem to be acting more like patent trolls, feeding off the lifeblood of creative people like the author of Enola Holmes. I could have this all wrong and maybe the Conan Doyle Estate is in the right here. We will never know on this particular case.

Not sure the court case being dismissed really answers any questions about whether or not this practice is legal in 2020. Will this come up in the courts in a case that actually goes to trial? Hope so. I’d like to see it challenged and copyright law speak on this subject.

Litigious Arthur Conan Doyle Estate targets Netflix book adaptation Enola Holmes

Through the years, we’ve encountered numerous stories about lawsuits over the use of Sherlock Holmes. The Arthur Conan Doyle estate can and will sue for infringement. Guess I somewhat get where they are coming from, but it’s troubling considering the author has been dead for many, many years now.

Eventually all copyrighted work should go into the public domain. I understand and agree with the concept of an author dying prematurely and heirs having some years residual stake to his/her creative works thereafter. If the author is alive and can benefit, great, pay the author, but Arthur Conan Doyle’s estate receiving licensing fees in 2020?

As it turns out the United States copyright protection on Sherlock Holmes will run out in 2023. So, if you’re sitting on a good, ripping Holmes yarn, you don’t have long to wait.

In the meantime, however, Netflix is the most current in the Doyle estatate crosshairs over the film adaptation of a book featuring a young teenage sister of Sherlock’s known as Enola Holmes.

The suit claims that, despite most of the original pre-1923 Sherlock Holmes tales have been judged to be in the public domain, the author’s last 10 stories about the character — published between 1923 and 1927 — are not. And the Doyle estate is claiming that the Enola Holmes books and movie incorporate something those only later stories included: the famously stoic detective’s emotions.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Estate Sues Netflix, Legendary & Others Over ‘Enola Holmes’ Film

There are a whopping 10 stories that showed Sherlock Holmes had emotions and those are still not in the public domain for a few more years. That’s right, Sherlock Holmes emotions as depicted in stories some 70+ years ago, are still the subject of legal scrutiny.

While I did some searching around, my memory was that the estate also had problems with the use of Sherlock Holmes in the holodeck for Star Trek: The Next Generation. Seemed like the writers were inspired by Doyle’s work and wanted to honor and respect it, not infringe upon it. This is an urban legend, however, because a license fee was paid:

…according to Jon Lellenberg, an attorney who’s served as the U.S. agent for the Conan Doyle estate, it’s not true at all. In fact, Paramount had worked with the Conan Doyle estate on the Stephen Spielberg-produced movie Young Sherlock Holmes. So Paramount’s rights department was already well aware that Holmes was not in the public domain, and they contacted the Conan Doyle estate in advance, seeking permission to dress Data as Holmes and feature Moriarty. The Conan Doyle estate was happy to agree, in exchange for a handsome payment.

The Truth About Star Trek And Sherlock Holmes

As for Netflix’s Enola Holmes movie? It’s coming in September 2020. Whether or not a license fee will have to be paid remains in dispute. Should this be a thing in 2020? That’s my question. Let me know what you think.

I think an author’s life + say 25 years is how copyright law should read. We don’t need great, great, great grandchildren financially benefiting from a deceased author’s work unless s/he has continued to create works using said characters in his/her/their lives.