A young girl’s passport application was reportedly rejected because she has the same name as a game of Thrones Character. After the BBCA mother identified only as Lucy was “devastated” when her six-year-old daughter’s passport application was rejected.
As the outlet reports, six-year-old Khaleesi’s passport application was initially rejected by the passport office, with officials saying they could not issue the passport without Warner Brothers’ permission.
Khaleesi is named after a title given to Daenerys Targaryen, a character from game of Thrones played by Emilia Clarke in all eight seasons of the series.
“I was absolutely devastated, we were so looking forward to our first holiday together,” said the girl’s mother to the BBCLucy explained to the network that she had been saving up for her family’s “dream trip” to Disneyland in Paris when she applied for the passport.
“But then I got a letter from the passport office saying her name was trademarked by Warner Brothers,” Lucy told the outlet. “That was the first time I’d heard anything like that – I was astonished.”
People’s reactions
The story soon made its way to TikTok and sparked fierce reactions. One person commented: “The fact that a passport office cares about copyrights is insane.” Another said: “Everyone is named after someone (crying emoji). Brands should not be extended to people who get their government documents.” To support this person: I am after a Time of longingCharacter Kayla Brady.
Someone else asked: “So I can’t change my name to Khaleesi because it’s trademarked??”
Some commenters couldn’t resist poking fun at the name. While it may seem odd to make fun of a child’s name, people still had something to say. One person shared, “I understand discovering a name you like in a show or movie… but Khaleesi??? That’s crazy lol.” Another joked, “My three sons Ghostbuster, Gremlin and Goonie had the same problem.”
Rejection done right
According to the BBCLucy sought advice from legal experts who told her that the trademark was game of Thrones referred to goods and services, not a person’s name. “This information was passed on to the passport office, where I was told I needed a letter from Warner Brothers to confirm that my daughter could use that name,” Lucy told the broadcaster.
The passport office has since apologised to the family, saying a “mistake” had been made. Officials clarified that their original instructions only applied to those who wanted to change their name, according to the BBC.
Lucy told the outlet she believes without her social media post and subsequent media coverage, nothing would have been done. “If I hadn’t posted that on social media, nothing would have been done,” she said. “I would have been stuck and not known what to do.”
Lucy hopes her story will help others who find themselves in a similar situation and is optimistic that Khaleesi’s passport will be issued soon. “We can confirm that the application is being processed and we apologise to the family for the delay,” an official told the BBC.
Interestingly, this is not the first time something like this has happened. According to UPI, in 2008, Laura Matthews decided to take Luke Skywalker’s last name for fun and even started signing her name as “L. Skywalker” to match the change. However, when Laura Elizabeth Skywalker Matthews applied to renew her passport, the Home Office staff rejected her application on copyright grounds.
After she signed the passport renewal form with her new signature, the Home Office told the 29-year-old that it “does not recognise a name change that is protected by copyright or trademark law”. She was told that although she would have to submit a new passport with her original signature, her new name could still remain on the document.
Kayla is the midday host at 105.1 The Bounce in Detroit. She started her career in radio in 2016 as an intern at another Detroit station and worked her way up here, making stops in Knoxville, Tennessee, Omaha, Nebraska, and other places before returning to Detroit. She’s done just about everything in radio from commercials to web, creating social media content, you name it. She’s a true Michigander, born and raised, so you can find her camping or vacationing up north, exploring downtown Detroit, or maybe even watching a sports game. In her free time, Kayla enjoys watching movies, roller skating, crafting, and attending music festivals. She and her husband immerse themselves in many of the great things Michigan has to offer together. Together they also enjoy traveling. Some of her hobbies include wine and beer tasting, crafting, hiking, roller skating, movies, home improvement projects, gardening, and festivals. She’s always looking for more local events in the community. She loves connecting with the community. When writing, Kayla covers topics such as lifestyle, pop culture, trending stories, hacks, and urban culture.