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UK Woman Unable To Register Middle Name of "Skywalker" With Passport Office

posted by janrinok on Friday August 01 2014, @11:55PM   
from the a-legal-name-is-not-enough dept.

lhsi writes:

A woman who changed her middle name to "Skywalker" has been unable to apply for a new passport because the UK Home Office has stated that it "will not recognise a change to a name which is subject to copyright or trademark". Laura Matthews, 29, changed her name by deed poll in 2008 "for a bit of a laugh". She recently tried to renew her passport and amended her signature to "L. Skywalker".

"We have a duty to ensure the reputation of the UK passport is not called into question or disrepute," a spokesman said.

Despite the recent problems with her passport, she does not regret her decision.

She has been told she might have to submit a new passport form with her old signature, but would be able to keep her new name on the document.

So why did they let her change her name 6 years ago?

• What's changed...? (Score: 4, Interesting) by MrNemesis on Saturday August 02 2014, @08:45AM

  by MrNemesis (1582) on Saturday August 02 2014, @08:45AM (#76684)

  A classic from 1999 [theguardian.com]:

  "After being charged £20 for a £10 overdraft, 30 year old Michael Howard of Leeds changed his name by deed poll to 'Yorkshire Bank Plc are Fascist Bastards'. The bank has now asked him to close his account, and Mr Bastards has asked them to repay the 69p balance by cheque, made out in his new name."

  Although to be fair I don't know if Michael Yorkshire Bank Plc are Fascist Bastards applied for a passport, I can't see why the passport office would be able to deny you using your legal name whether or not it contains a trademark. There's a fair few McDonalds in Scotland for example...

  --
  "To paraphrase Nietzsche, I have looked into the abyss and been sick in it."

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