Questions America Wants Answered: Is Sherlock Holmes in the Public Domain or Not?

From techdirt:

Conan Doyle Estate Is Horrified That The Public Domain Might Create 'Multiple Personalities' Of Sherlock Holmes
from the actually,-that's-the-point dept

For a few years now we've discussed a few times some of the confusion as to why Sherlock Holmes isn't considered in the public domain in the US, even though he probably should be. As we've explained, all of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes books except for one are in the public domain. The Conan Doyle estate claims that having that single book under copyright means that the entire character is covered by copyright. Earlier this year, we pointed out that a noted Sherlock Holmes scholar (such things exist!) named Leslie Klinger had decided to file for declaratory judgment that Sherlock Holmes is in the public domain, following a legal nastygram from the Estate, arguing that it needed a license fee for Klinger's latest book.

The Conan Doyle Estate has now filed its response to the motion for summary judgment, and it's an astounding study of ignorance concerning copyright law and the public domain....MORE

No shit Sherlock.
We've visited with the World's Greatest Consulting Detective a few times with the same post, here's the 2011 version:

Happy Anniversary Sherlock!
Since December 2007 we've marked the Holiday season with this post:

Another Anniversary Already? And How Much is it Going to Cost?

It was 120 124years ago that Sherlock Holmes came to the world's attention in Beetons Christmas Annual of 1887.

Here's the most expensive magazine in the world:

Sotheby's held the sale in New York City on 21 June 2007.
The owner, a lady, put up two Sherlockian lots for sale."

Lot 105, Beeton's Christmas Annual for 1887, set a new auction record for that magazine and sold for $156,000. The hammer price was $130,000 and the 20% buyer's premium brought the total to $156,000. That beat the previous record of $153,600 set in an auction at Sotheby's in December 2004. The 2004 record was said to make Beeton's the most expensive magazine in the world, and this new sale reinforces that position.

In 2008 Randall Stock who keeps a census of the extant copies emailed and pointed to this page.

I can't imagine there is any one site in the world with more information on "The World's Most Expensive Magazine".

Earlier this year he reported on a previously unknown copy that was offered at auction in Australia but failed to reach the reserve.

Maybe in the next equity bull market.