The case of confused copyright: Elderly heiress threatens to sue BBC over ownership of Sherlock Holmes characters

Andrea Plunket, 74, threatening BBC following success of third series

She says she has European trademarks of Holmes and Watson characters



One of Ms Plunket's four husbands was US producer Sheldon Reynolds

Mr Reynolds made a Holmes TV series, and she says she now owns rights



Andrea Plunket, 74, (pictured in 1994) is threatening the BBC with action following the success of its third Sherlock series

The BBC is facing a lawsuit from an elderly American heiress who claims she owns the rights to Sherlock Holmes.

Andrea Plunket, 74, is threatening the corporation with action following the success of its third Sherlock series.

The popular drama, featuring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, attracted 8.8million viewers for its New Year's Day episode.

Ms Plunket, told the Express: 'I have the rights, that is clear. And I will be suing the BBC for Sherlock.



'They are not allowed to take a character and create a new story. The same goes for Elementary, the CBS TV adaption starring Jonny Lee Miller.

'I also have trademarks on the Holmes and Watson characters in Europe.'



One of Ms Plunket's four husbands was US producer Sheldon Reynolds.



Mr Reynolds made a Holmes TV series, and she says the rights were bought for £40,000 by her mother from Russian Princess Nina Mdivani.



Princess Nina was a sister-in-law of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's daughter, Dame Jean.

The Conan Doyle family say the rights simply passed down the family line.

The popular drama, featuring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, attracted 8.8million viewers for its New Year's Day episode

Ms Plunket claims to have registered as her trademark all the leading characters in the Sherlock Holmes stories and accuses the BBC of breaching her trademark

In an interview with the Mail in September, Ms Plunket said she owned the copyright to the last ten stories from the Conan Doyle oeuvre in the U.S.

She also claimed to have registered as her trademark all the leading characters in the Sherlock Holmes stories and accuses the BBC of breaching her trademark.

One of Ms Plunket's four husbands was US producer Sheldon Reynolds. Mr Reynolds made a Holmes TV series, and she says the rights were bought for £40,000 by her mother from Russian Princess Nina Mdivan - a sister-in-law of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's daughter, Dame Jean

She said: ‘No one has asked permission to use my trademarks and I am confident that if and when I go to court I will be able to prevent the BBC making any more Sherlocks. That is my wish.’



After Ms Plunket and Reynolds divorced in 1990, she fought a legal battle to maintain ownership of the copyrights.