E-Paper
6-year-old’s passport rejected because she’s named after a Game of Thrones character
A 6-year-old’s passport application was rejected in the UK because of her name “Khaleesi”
A 6-year-old’s passport application was rejected in the UK because of her name. Lucy Holloway was told that her daughter, Khaleesi, could not be issued a passport as her name is copyrighted by Warner Brothers.
Khaleesi Holloway is named after Daenerys Targaryen from the cult favourite book series and TV show Game of Thrones.
Her mother Lucy said that Khaleesi’s application was initially rejected by the Passport Office, putting her dream trip to Paris in jeopardy. Authorities said a passport could not be issued in Khaleesi’s name as it is copyrighted by Warner Bros. It has since apologised for the error, reported BBC.
“I was absolutely devastated, we were so looking forward to our first holiday together," Lucy said. "But then I had a letter come through from the Passport Office, saying her name is trademarked by Warner Brothers.
“It was the first I've heard of such a thing - I was astonished,” said 39-year-old Lucy, who is based in Wiltshire.
The British woman sought legal advice in the matter and discovered the trademark is only applicable to goods and services, not a person’s name. This information was passed on to the Passport Office. “That information was sent to the Passport Office who said I would need a letter from Warner Brothers to confirm my daughter is able to use that name,” she said. “I didn't understand and felt frustrated. If she could get a birth certificate, would something not have been flagged up then?”
Passport authorities have since apologised for the error.
An official explained the whole thing was a misunderstanding. “He advised me that they should be able to process my daughter's passport now,” Lucy said.
The family had to put their dream trip to Disneyland Paris on hold because of the mix-up. With the cost of tickets having gone up, they might just have to cancel the holiday altogether.
“We may not be able to go to Disney now because of the delay, the prices have gone up by £800. I have been working for six days a week to pay for the holiday and now it looks like we won’t be able to go,” a disappointed Lucy said.
