Joel Brown had applied to register the name for leisurewear, sportswear, footwear and headgear. The Conan Doyle family objected, arguing it clashed with their existing “Dr Watson” and “Holmes and Watson” trademarks and could mislead customers into thinking the clothes were officially endorsed.

The UK Intellectual Property Office agreed. The estate argued the goods overlapped closely enough in nature, manufacturing and distribution to cause confusion. Brown’s team countered that the estate’s existing trademark only covered protective clothing, and cited guidance suggesting famous fictional characters’ names aren’t always seen as indicating trade origin.

Hearing officer Catrin Williams ruled that most people would still recognise “Dr Watson” as the literary character, and that the name carried enough distinctiveness in relation to clothing that confusion was likely — even where the goods were only loosely similar. Brown’s application was refused, and he was ordered to pay £1,300 towards the estate’s legal costs.