A UK family has been denied a passport for their son as his birth name is copyrighted by Disney, owners of the Star Wars franchise.
The news came as a surprise to the Mowbray family as the child’s name never posed an issue until seven years later.
The parents, Christian and Becky Mowbray, named their child after Star Wars protagonist Luke Skywalker to result in the given name of Loki Skywalker Mowbray. The couple wanted to commemorate the fact that the boy was born on the 4th of May, also known as Star Wars Day – a special day dedicated to fans of the Star Wars franchise.
In the process of planning a holiday to the Dominican Republic, the Mowbrays decided to apply for new passports for their first holiday in years. According to reports, Christian Mowbray is a British soldier serving in the Corps of Royal Engineers at the Rock Barracks in Sutton Heath. The family has been unable to take time off collectively to go on holiday until recently.
To the family’s surprise, the Home office issued a notice stating they could not print ‘Skywalker’ on the boy’s passport as ‘Skywalker’ is copyrighted by Disney.
Disney purchased the Star Wars franchise from Lucasfilm for USD 4.05 billion in October 2012. Therefore, most or all intellectual property rights in relation to Star Wars are governed by The Walt Disney Company.
The Home Office advised the Mowbrays to obtain permission from Disney for ‘Skywalker’ or to change Loki’s name.
‘We were not aware that this could be a potential issue,’ claims Mowbray, adding that the family has ‘no intention of using it for personal gain.’
‘I understand [the Home Office’s] position and reasoning, but I believe they need to recognize that modern names are evolving.’ (source)
The issue was ultimately resolved and Loki received his passport with no further issue.
Similarly, a family in the UK with a daughter named after Games of Thrones character ‘Khaleesi’ was also denied a passport due to trademark rights held by Warner Brothers.
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