Skywalker passport saga takes new twist
A woman who fell foul of trademark law after putting ‘Skywalker’ on a passport application has had her passport cancelled despite the UK government initially granting the application.
Laura Matthews has had her passport cancelled after being told by the Home Office, the government department that deals with passport applications, that the application was "frivolous".
Earlier this year, WIPR reported that 29-year-old Matthews was told her ‘L. Skywalker’ signature—in homage to the Star Wars character Luke Skywalker—could not be included on her application as it infringed a registered trademark.
Despite this, Matthews was issued with the document several weeks later after threatening to take legal action, but she has now been told the passport was issued in error and has been cancelled.
Matthews, who legally added Skywalker as a middle name in 2008, had not updated the travel document before running into the problems with her new application.
She told the BBC the latest decision has left her feeling "upset, frustrated and disappointed".
A Home Office spokesman said: "Protecting the integrity of the UK passport is vital and we do not accept a change of name for frivolous reasons."
According to the UK Intellectual Property Office website, the trademark ‘Luke Skywalker’ belongs to Lucasfilm, the production company that makes the films, as does the mark ‘Anakin Skywalker’ (Luke’s father), although there is no ‘L. Skywalker’ listed.
