Child named after Star Wars character refused passport due to copyright issues

A UK boy’s Star Wars-inspired name backfired when his family applied for a passport. Photo / 123rf
A 7-year-old boy was refused a passport for a family holiday because his name was a copyright infringement of the Star Wars franchise.
Christian and Becky Mowbray had booked a family trip to the Dominican Republic for the end of October, Suffolk News reported.
The family had not travelled since 2014 due to the couple’s intense work schedules, with Christian working as a soldier in the Corps of Royal Engineers, three hours northwest of London.
Issues arose when they attempted to get a passport for their youngest child. The boy was born on May 4, 2017, and because May 4 is colloquially known as Star Wars Day, the couple were inspired to name him after one of the characters.
Years later, however, the name Loki Skywalker Mowbray was problematic, the UK Home Office said.
The government organisation reportedly refused their application due to copyright issues. An email to the couple stated the refusal was because his name contained a name “which relates to a trademark or copyright”.
The family claim they were told to remove the name Skywalker or get permission from Disney, which owns the copyright to the Star Wars franchise.
Christian Mowbray said the couple never imagined their son’s name could be an issue and while they understood the name was copyrighted, they weren’t using it for personal gain.
Mowbray understood why the Home Office made the decision, but argued there should be more nuance because there was a difference between an adult changing their name for attention and a child being named something at birth.
Unable to secure a passport for their son, the family cancelled their holiday and were disheartened by the thought of changing their son’s name.
Several days after Suffolk News approached the Home Office for comment on the story, the Mowbrays received an email stating a passport would be issued for their son, but had been delayed.
The family now plan to take a greatly anticipated holiday along with their other children, Kaycie and Willow.
His family isn’t the first to face issues getting a passport for their child because they named them after famous characters.
A British mother was “absolutely devastated” after her daughter was denied a passport because of her name, which was inspired by another hugely popular franchise.