I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

Remembering Vinnie Brosnan, BSI

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"that gap on the second shelf" [EMPT]</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAOZPuEDJ-m2fk-YF0w0x4J-71s6ULxXI8Fx4pPnhLDz89qGRjOlEPvlCyKQ0rq7U1IPvCb15RFBodHF-SuLwjnCH1vfh8Vos2fCJRc7kwv62JbSygmiciSCDlHIdwET68RBu30Zcp9uRT/s1600/Vinnie+Brosnan.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAOZPuEDJ-m2fk-YF0w0x4J-71s6ULxXI8Fx4pPnhLDz89qGRjOlEPvlCyKQ0rq7U1IPvCb15RFBodHF-SuLwjnCH1vfh8Vos2fCJRc7kwv62JbSygmiciSCDlHIdwET68RBu30Zcp9uRT/s1600/Vinnie+Brosnan.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Vincent Brosnan died at his Oceanside, California home on December 28th  at the age of 80. He was born in New York City, and after two years at the University of Notre Dame was drafted into the Army. He served for two years and was stationed in France. In January of 1959 Vinnie graduated from the Cinema Department at the University of Southern California and the following year was hired by NBC at their Burbank Studio, where he spent 33 years of his professional career with NBC and KNBC News as Editor and Supervising Editor of News Programs. He received two Los Angeles Area Emmys, the Los Angeles Press Club Award, and the George Foster Peabody Broadcasting Award. Vinnie enjoyed tennis, opera, and promoting and celebrating Sherlock Holmes.<br />
<br />
During his high school days in the late 40's, Vinnie listened to the Rathbone/Bruce weekly radio programs and attributed them and their movies to his love of Holmes. After his graduation in 1959, with no job and little cash, he wandered into a bookstore and, although he couldn't afford it, he bought two Sherlock Holmes books for $10. He claimed that the purchase changed his life.<br />
<br />
In Vinnie's own words (courtesy of the <a href="http://www.johnhwatsonsociety.com/watsonian-limelight.html" target="_blank">John H. Watson Society</a>)<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"In my high school days (the late 1940s), I was exposed to the world of Sherlock Holmes in three distinct ways: by reading the original Arthur Conan Doyle stories; by watching the Universal Studio movies that were in production starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce; and by listening to the weekly radio program sponsored by Petri Wine and also starring Rathbone and Bruce. I was totally taken by the radio programs which allowed full range to my imagination and appreciation of Rathbone's unique voice and inflection which made the action believable. I believe it was the combination of Rathbone's voice and the inciting of my imagination that was the mainspring of my love for Sherlock Holmes. Another influence was the romance of the Victorian Age which was inbred as my father was a true Dickensian.<br />
<br />
Going forward to 1959: an important year of my life. I graduated in January from the Cinema Department at the University of Southern California and began the almost impossible task of finding employment in Hollywood. By June, with no prospects in sight, I was discouraged and running out of needed cash. There was a bookstore in downtown Los Angeles that had displayed on its top shelf the three volume Heritage set of <i>Sherlock Holmes</i>, <i>The Later Adventures of Sherlock Holmes</i>, and <i>The Final Adventures of Sherlock Holmes</i>. The books were priced at five dollars each. I knew I couldn't afford it, but I bought them anyway, and it was a purchase that changed my life.<br />
<br />
At that time, my nights were sleepless. To relieve my restlessness, I took up my Sherlock Holmes adventures. I read them all two or three times and was completely captivated. What a wonder these stories were, a perfect mixture of charm and adventure. They helped alter my spirit and attitude. Soon afterwards, in June, I got my foot in the door at the NBC Studios in Burbank--the start of a thirty-three year career.<br />
<br />
Does Sherlock deserve credit? You bet he does! With a paycheck in my wallet, I could let loose some of my collecting urges and all the fun that comes with it. Up to that time, I had never joined a Sherlock Holmes club, better known as scions. I took a different route. Over time, my collection grew, resulting in an overfilled garage, and my dear wife pointed out the need  for clearing it out. This crisis has not changed in over forty years of marriage. Nevertheless, the crisis was of good fortune. I formed my book service and named it Sherlock in L.A.  Since then, fourteen privately printed catalogues featuring many great Sherlockian book collections for sale have been produced and all were well-illustrated and, more import, well-received by the Sherlockian collector world. Among those memorable sales of great collections was the John H. Watson Society Emeritus Founding Member, the late Col. Ted Schulz, who is featured here in the Watsonian Limelight. The extensive catalogue of his collection is now a collector's item in its own right.<br />
<br />
In 1988, I became an active member of the Trained Cormorants, one of the oldest scions in the U.S. (founded in 1947) and I became the custodian of their archives. Shorty thereafter, I formed a publishing arm named The Sherlock n L.A. Press and produced three major monographs, all of which are now highly collectible. The first wasThe Sherlock Holmes Mother Goose by Paula Salo; the second was The Trained Cormorants 60th Anniversary Commemorative which was the scion's history accompanied by many archival photographs; and the third was The Sage of Santa Fe: Adventures and Public Life of John Bennett Shaw written by Susan Rice and myself.<br />
<br />
It was with the Cormorants that I attended many of the important conferences and other Sherlockian gatherings in the 1990s. One was in 1995 for the dedication of the John Bennett Shaw Library at the University of Minnesota. The prior year, my dear wife Flavia and I went to London for the Back to Baker Street Festival where I met and friended Dame Jean Conan Doyle, who was Conan Doyle's daughter and the last of the Conan Doyle descendants. This, I would add, was one of the great highlights of my life, and there have been many. I was so glad I was wearing a hat with her father's name on it; I could see how happy this made her.<br />
<br />
The other event, which ranks as one of the great surprises of my life, was my introduction by Michael Whelan, the Wiggins, into the Baker Street Irregulars. My investiture is "That Gap on That Second Shelf," which is a line spoken by Holmes while disguised as an old bookman.<br />
How fitting were these words for a bookman like myself. In reading over this thumb nail sketch, you can appreciate how my life's journey with Sherlock Holmes led to many rewards and new friends.  But this, of course, is only part of the story. There is so much more to be said and remembered. I have always viewed my collecting endeavors as one of responsibilities; that is, to inform, educate, and advance many Sherlockians on the significant studies, scholarship, and endless variety of pastiches that have gone before. This is a wide subject which, for right now, I have to put on hold."</blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiowaOjvWrjnVOZDZfuP65KBO_nSP2hLispE6rlBeF_N9TKn03XEtWhB5P6LbPglpADgXkkudmqyBgLfyoUFLG9LbXXgFQDK8s6U5szNlDUsH7_qHZcTmjeVxHMf80hP8UECD9kYEVAMskv/s1600/Knothole+Vinnie+Brosnan+Harrison+Hunt+Jim+Cox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiowaOjvWrjnVOZDZfuP65KBO_nSP2hLispE6rlBeF_N9TKn03XEtWhB5P6LbPglpADgXkkudmqyBgLfyoUFLG9LbXXgFQDK8s6U5szNlDUsH7_qHZcTmjeVxHMf80hP8UECD9kYEVAMskv/s1600/Knothole+Vinnie+Brosnan+Harrison+Hunt+Jim+Cox.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vinnie at <a href="http://www.christophermorley.org/knothole/knothole.html" target="_blank">The Knothole</a> with Harrison Hunt and Jim Cox.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Vinnie was a staunch supporter of the BSI Trust and in his words stated that "For me, the Trust is much more than just an adjunct to the Irregulars -- it represents all in one, its past, present, and future, the very heart of our organization, and so requires the deference of serious consideration of all."<br />
<br />
Vinnie Brosnan was invested into the Baker Street Irregulars in 2011 as "That Gap on That Second Shelf."<br />
<br />
His online obituary <a href="http://hosting-24280.tributes.com/condolences/leave_memory/97442572" target="_blank">can be found here</a>, where you can leave memories for his family.<br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />

Remembering Vinnie Brosnan, BSI

"that gap on the second shelf" [EMPT] Vincent Brosnan died at his Oceanside, California home on December 28th at the age of ...

+ Read more »

by Francine Kitts

That Mitchell and Webb Look at Sherlock Holmes

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"...doubled himself up" [VALL]</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtBw4dKdivGpYz_TVNLc2-MzK-ftCO8ET4NdIDKihsButqmhyphenhyphenTui9cPzA-Q5JagRkoPlINWoLdtdGv7-If0nM22geJBJR6EgEa9SR7XU7o2KWuV0sOtXts_AAXo9B7Ki1Wmb-nXQb4zJZP/s1600/Mitchell+and+Webb+Look+Sherlock.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtBw4dKdivGpYz_TVNLc2-MzK-ftCO8ET4NdIDKihsButqmhyphenhyphenTui9cPzA-Q5JagRkoPlINWoLdtdGv7-If0nM22geJBJR6EgEa9SR7XU7o2KWuV0sOtXts_AAXo9B7Ki1Wmb-nXQb4zJZP/s640/Mitchell+and+Webb+Look+Sherlock.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
For many British comedy fans, <b><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0092s71" target="_blank">That Mitchell and Webb Look</a></b> seemingly demonstrated a definite Sherlockian bent with its pastiche sketches featuring <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f475kI-YPtY" target="_blank">Sir Digby Chicken Caesar</a>, a homeless man who imagines himself and his companion to be a Victorian adventurer. However, this team appears to have a much more thorough understanding of the pair, as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOXnQLiMTpw" target="_blank">this sketch demonstrates</a>: <br />
<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="435" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/MOXnQLiMTpw" width="580"></iframe></center>
<center>
</center>
<center style="text-align: left;">
</center>
<center style="text-align: left;">
It's always enjoyable to see Holmes and Watson - or is that Watson and Holmes? - being put to a little fun.</center>
<center style="text-align: left;">
</center>
<center style="text-align: left;">
--</center>
<center style="text-align: left;">
</center>

That Mitchell and Webb Look at Sherlock Holmes

"...doubled himself up" [VALL] For many British comedy fans, That Mitchell and Webb Look seemingly demonstrated a definite ...

+ Read more »

by Gordon D

New Russian Sherlock Holmes TV Show - A Review

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"He is a Russian. His name I will not tell." [GOLD]</h4>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMCVo6w9w4NEITTzsMUF4JXOhHp80Yxrr9SVntUSeJWIwWzKubTH8xIoBOk3qK_r2jkY8n-xeIE0DtDtF1K_D2FwUQm394_b3Z39Csc1P9Uf4s0zZU4qf2dTHm3gV_JyWW_aT5vKRZ9SA/s1600/Igor+Petrenko+as+Sherlock+Holmes.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMCVo6w9w4NEITTzsMUF4JXOhHp80Yxrr9SVntUSeJWIwWzKubTH8xIoBOk3qK_r2jkY8n-xeIE0DtDtF1K_D2FwUQm394_b3Z39Csc1P9Uf4s0zZU4qf2dTHm3gV_JyWW_aT5vKRZ9SA/s640/Igor+Petrenko+as+Sherlock+Holmes.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Igor Petrenko as Sherlock Holmes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Though Sherlock Holmes adaptations have never been lacking in this world, there seems to have been a particularly great upsurge of them in the past handful of years.They need hardly be named - Guy Ritchie's <i>Sherlock Holmes</i> films, the BBC's <i>Sherlock</i>, and CBS' <i>Elementary</i> are all of recent and not-so-lamented memory. To be added to that list is a new Russian adaptation, titled quite simply and eponymously <i>Sherlock Holmes</i>. The series <a href="http://russia.tv/video/show/brand_id/17605/episode_id/698444/video_id/698444/" target="_blank">aired recently</a>; I have so far caught the first couple of episodes (both two-parters that run for 90-minutes). There is hardly the space here for a lengthy review, but, with my ability to watch the series in my native Russian language, I feel that I must be the messenger that provides however short a review.<br />
<br />
It is not a surprise to see another adaptation of Holmes in the Russian language: Holmes is a popular figure in Russia and the nations of the former Soviet Union. Along with the characters of Dumas and Stevenson, he is one of those heroic figures whose stories every child has read and whose adventures have been incarnated in excellent film adaptations. Unfortunately, this particular version is below the mark of the greatest adaptations of the Canon, past and present.<br />
<br />
Each episode begins with great fidelity to the Canon, in the form of a recitation by Watson of lengthy paragraphs from the relevant stories. As such, the first episode begins with the  first few paragraphs of <i>A Study in Scarlet, </i>then throws the viewer straight into the action, with a murder - forcing our noble doctor to meet the great detective over a different kind of corpse than the one Holmes was canonically beating when introduced to Watson by Stamford. The first episode adapts "The Adventure of Black Peter," mixed with a much watered-down case of blackmail a la "The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton" (though unfortunately without the eponymous character). The second appears to be more original, but contains hints of "The Naval Treaty." Both plots are, unfortunately, rather sub-par.In the first, the mystery ranges from too convoluted to be interesting to too exact an adaptation of the canonical mystery to be interesting;  the second is not even a mystery itself but rather a complex political machination of which Holmes is the victim (and in which, to my great disappointment, the great Irene Adler is reduced to a bargaining chip in order to manipulate Holmes).<br />
<br />
Here's a trailer of the series:<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/UFY9rw4Iji8" width="560"></iframe></center>
<br />
As for the characters themselves: this version of Holmes seems to have taken after the recent trend of shedding Holmes of his austerity, to portray him as young, frenzied, idiosyncratic, and deeply flawed. However, one gets the sense that, in this version, he is perhaps too flawed. One of the great fascinations of Holmes' character has always been his flaws, but in this case, it is difficult to perceive the venerable figure of the detective through those flaws.  He fails to be taken seriously by the police on a number of accounts, gets blackmailed, kidnapped, and buoyed about by political machinations, has no fighting prowess to speak of (one remembers that Holmes is canonically an expert boxer), and requires Watson's constant assistance (and rescue).  Certainly, he also has the deductive and analytical qualities of the great detective, but there the similarity seems to end.<br />
<br />
In sharp contrast to Holmes, this version of Watson is a magnificent portrayal. No longer does he occupy the backstage: rather than being either chronicler or simple foil for Holmes, he is a character in his own right, and perhaps even a more heroic one than Holmes himself. He is a man of many talents: the expert fighter that Holmes is not (allowing him to come to Holmes' aid on numerous occasions), brave, loyal, resourceful, and also  possessing all that worldly skill that Holmes seems to lack. He is the perfect partner to the detective.<br />
<br />
The series also possesses a number of other charms. Mostly, they are in the form of the friendship between Holmes and Watson. It is this warm camaraderie that they share from their earliest days that is perhaps one of the greatest draws of the stories, and here the Russian series does not disappoint. Our two protagonists hit off their friendship quickly, with Watson almost instantly willing to plunge into danger for Holmes' sake and serve as his partner in crime (or the hunting down of crime). There's also a few charming references to previous adaptations,  from Holmes' decision to use Basil Rathbone as a fake name during an investigation, to Holmes and Watson's friendly "boxing match" at the beginning of their acquaintance (an obvious allusion to the Soviet adaptation). There's the portrayal of Mrs. Hudson -  who, rather than an elderly, motherly figure,is a youthful beauty whose relationship with Holmes is more than intriguing. And, finally, there is humor - I often found myself laughing out loud during several well-acted scenes dispersed amid the less-impressive plot.<br />
<br />
I have yet to decide whether I will watch the entire series through to its conclusion: there are certainly pros and cons to this adaptation, and the warm connection between Holmes and Watson is certainly a compelling draw. There are, however, adaptations that are much more clever and fresh with what they do than this one.<br />
<br />
--<br />
</div>

New Russian Sherlock Holmes TV Show - A Review

"He is a Russian. His name I will not tell." [GOLD] Igor Petrenko as Sherlock Holmes Though Sherlock Holmes adaptations ha...

+ Read more »

by Anastasia Klimchynskaya

Tips for Navigating the #BSIWeekend

<br />
<div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
With the <b><a href="http://bsiweekend.com/">BSI Weekend</a></b> coming up, we thought it might be helpful to provide a series of tips for the veteran attendees and the newbies alike.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDHo4iiDDOErwaWy3Joht7w6wiz68QUJ2lLc8W0YVh50wqxZUk0N8OE_6VAMqqj0wXn3Foh3vi2Q3uONKq1FfTSlB-fCQv7SSPtlH2D_MM1HKLFAcp8LjfBI7pqNuV3ETNtiUiY_XTFmm0/s1600/BSI+Weekend.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDHo4iiDDOErwaWy3Joht7w6wiz68QUJ2lLc8W0YVh50wqxZUk0N8OE_6VAMqqj0wXn3Foh3vi2Q3uONKq1FfTSlB-fCQv7SSPtlH2D_MM1HKLFAcp8LjfBI7pqNuV3ETNtiUiY_XTFmm0/s640/BSI+Weekend.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The Baker Street Irregulars (and Friends) Weekend is happening January 16-19, 2014, and it's usually a pretty big deal if you're taking time out of your life to head into New York City for 3+ days of activities with people you haven't seen in a year (or years!) or those you may only know online. Whether you're making the trip for the first or twenty-first time, you know that the Weekend provides the same level of excitement, anticipation and giddiness as Christmas morning does to a child.<br />
<br />
It's usually during those anxious moments that our brain-attic tends to forget some of the essentials that help make a great trip perfect. And for the uninitiated, it's just a matter of not knowing what you need to survive the Baker Street Irregulars (and Friends) Weekend.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/4181746031/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="twis-05 by Scott Monty, on Flickr"><img alt="twis-05" height="240" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2549/4181746031_de7435af0b_m.jpg" width="188" /></a>Not being the type to remember everything ourselves (we swear that on every trip, our mind isn't calmed until we can figure out just what it is that we forgot to pack), we reached out to several members of the Baker Street Irregulars - some newer members who might have a less distant memory of their first Weekend, and some who have been at it literally for decades.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6321981775136876837" name="more"></a>We were expecting a smattering of solid advice, but we were quite astonished at the quality and quantity of helpful hints that can make the BSI Weekend an enjoyable and stress-free one for you. And if there are any that we missed, please feel free to add your own as a comment below. Herewith the suggestions:<br />
<br />
<h4>
Bags </h4>
<ul>
<li>Make sure that you have plenty of room to bring home books that you bought.  If you have to bring an extra bag that you can fold up and put in your suitcase, do so. </li>
<li>Some suggest bringing a plastic shopping bag to the BSI dinner, as it makes carrying the dinner packet around a little easier, especially if you plan to go to another venue afterward. </li>
<li>You might also consider bringing a shopping bag to the Vendors Room on Saturday to carry your various purchases. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<h4>
Meeting Others </h4>
<ul>
<li>Bring business cards. You will be meeting a lot of new people, and you will be sharing contact information.  Put as many as you think that you will need in your pack, and then double it. And be sure to include all modes of contacting you, including website, Twitter handle, etc. </li>
<li>If you're in need of a good card, the <a href="http://moo.com/">Moo</a> does a splendid job and <a href="http://vistaprint.com/">VistaPrint</a> has a fast turnaround time. </li>
<li>If you want to make sure you get your table mates to sign your menu, bring a pen to the dinner. </li>
<li>Allow yourself time to shmooze with other Sherlockians.  This is the fastest way to make new friends, who will quickly become old friends. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<h4>
Comportment </h4>
<ul>
<li>DO tell people how good it is to see them again. DO tell them that you miss them in the intervening months between BSI weekends. DO tell them how invaluable they are to you as a Sherlockian comrade-in-arms and friend and how much you value their friendship. </li>
<li>If you're scheduled to speak at an event, be mindful not to overdo the alcohol beforehand. Dutch courage is usually inappropriate in such circumstances. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<h4>
Attire </h4>
<ul>
<li>Bring comfortable shoes.  The weekend inevitably includes a lot of walking. </li>
<li>This one is especially for the ladies:, it's useful to have a change of shoes in your handbag so the stilettos don't murder you by the end of the evening (or vice versa). </li>
<li>Bring warm clothes.  It is winter in New York, and non-Sherlockian New York friends say that know when we are in town because we bring really bad weather. </li>
<li>Dress in layers. Many times the weather can be cold, but there have been instances in New York in January when we could - and did - comfortably walk about the streets without even a jacket on. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<h4>
Money </h4>
<ul>
<li>Bring small bills.  They will come in handy as you share taxis going from place to place, and you’ll find them handy when tipping helpful service employees. </li>
<li>Bring a checkbook to the Vendors Room as not everyone takes credit cards and you may find an item you must have. </li>
<li>If you see something you're interested in at the Vendors Room and you can afford it, don't wait until your second sweep of the room  - it will probably be gone by then.</li>
<li>Estimate, on the top side, what you expect to spend – and double it. That might get you through. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<h4>
Time </h4>
<ul>
<li>If you have any health conditions, allow yourself time to go back to your hotel room for periodic rests.  Many find these rests invaluable, enabling them to enjoy the weekend despite their condition.Schedule your time. </li>
<li>Know when you need to be places (including when you need to catch the train/plane back home). </li>
<li>Count on it taking some time to get a cab amongst the other Sherlockians on 10th Avenue after the Gillette Luncheon. If the weather is not inclement and you’re fairly healthy, you may find a brisk walk from 19th Street to 45th Street a way to burn off those calories. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<h4>
Getting Around </h4>
<ul>
<li>Print out a street map of the city with the places you need to be circled or otherwise identified.  Many things are within walking distance, but it is good to know you are starting out in the right direction (or know when to turn). </li>
<li>If you're smartphone-enabled, there are plenty of map apps to choose from. Aside from the standard Google Maps, there's a <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tripadvisor.android.apps.cityguide.newyorkcity">TripAdvisor New York City Guide for Android</a> and iOS has the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/new-york-travel-guide-offline/id319296365?mt=8">New York Travel Guide and Offline Map</a> by Ulmon.</li>
<li>Download and print the <a href="http://www.bsiweekend.com/2013/11/summary-of-weekend-events.html#sthash.xS12f57r.dpbs">Summary of Weekend Events</a> from <a href="http://bsiweekend.com/">bsiweekend.com</a> (and seen below), or bookmark it on your smartphone. </li>
<li>If you want to go to Otto Penzler's Mysterious Bookshop and are staying at The Yale Club or the Roosevelt the easiest, quickest and cheapest way to go is by subway.  From Grand Central take a 4 or 5 express train four stops to City Hall Station it is a very short walk over to Otto's.  Don't take a local (which makes 10 stops). The express is about five minutes. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<h4>
Logistics </h4>
<ul>
<li>Bring your event payment confirmations, just in case of a glitch in the system. </li>
<li>Also, everything is pretty centrally located, but it's a good idea to have a list of your schedule with the addresses of the venues so that you don't suddenly find yourself asking, where the devil am I supposed to be right now? </li>
<li>The heat during the BSI dinner has been uncomfortable in years past in the Yale Club (potentially dangerously uncomfortable 3 years ago) -- if this continues, vests/waistcoats are not advised. Unless you're <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcaric/8379354330/">Mattias Bostrom</a>. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<h4>
The Unscheduled </h4>
<ul>
<li>If possible, make breakfast plans with other Sherlockians (unless you eat breakfast alone) </li>
<li>To some, the secret to enjoying the jam-packed weekend is to find private, unpublicized events for more intimate interactions. How to find these? “You know my methods. Apply them.” </li>
</ul>
<br />
<h4>
Dining</h4>
What? You’re not getting enough food between events? Thankfully there are gaps that allow a Sherlockian to venture places on his or her own. And of course, there are plenty of restaurants in and near Grand Central Station, which is in great proximity to the Yale Club and the Roosevelt Hotel.  <br />
<ul>
<li>Several Sherlockians like to go to the Oyster Bar for dinner after the Thursday night lecture. </li>
<li>There is a Cosí across the street from the Roosevelt, at 38 East 45th Street, and of course Starbucks in the station and at nearly every corner. </li>
<li>For a more comprehensive listing of eateries, <a href="http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2011/07/where-to-eat-near-grand-central-station-nyc-new-york-city-gcs-midtown-east-manhattan-restaurants.html">Serious Eats has a guide</a> that breaks them down by category and of course <a href="http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=restaurants+near+grand+central&find_loc=New+York%2C+NY%2C+USA">Yelp has many suggestions</a> as well. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<h4>
Online</h4>
Whether you're in New York for the festivities or sequestered at home, it might be worthwhile to follow along online. Some ways to do that:<br />
<ul>
<li>The official hashtag of the BSI Weekend on Twitter is <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23bsiweekend&src=typd">#BSIWeekend</a>. We have a feed set up on the BSI Weekend website, or you can simply follow along by clicking on the hashtag, or even on <a href="http://tweetdeck.com/">TweetDeck</a>. </li>
<li>We'll be providing occasional updates on these pages, so please follow along. </li>
<li>Of course, we'll also be providing updates via our <a href="http://twitter.com/ihearofsherlock">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://facebook.com/ihearofsherlock">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://ihearofsherlock.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a> presence. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.bakerstreetbabes.com/">The Baker Street Babes</a>, who will be out in force during the weekend, will undoubtedly have a unique real-time perspective of the weekend. </li>
<li>We also have a <a href="http://twitter.com/ihearofsherlock/lists/sherlockians">list of Sherlockians on Twitter</a> whom you might consider following. A number of them will be at the weekend as well. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
Here is a handy downloadable and printable guide for the weekend; you may also bookmark it on your smartphone for easy reference (or download the Scribd app [<b><a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDkQFjAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fscribd-worlds-largest-online%2Fid542557212%3Fmt%3D8&ei=-CbdUJjZGcvkqQHM0IDoDQ&usg=AFQjCNFJrFun262V6ZZVXqQGlmr6dpo80A&sig2=1OSvbhebL4loQDJvzNIoJA&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.aWM">iOS</a></b> or <b><a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&ved=0CEIQFjAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fplay.google.com%2Fstore%2Fapps%2Fdetails%3Fid%3Dcom.scribd.app.reader0%26hl%3Den&ei=-CbdUJjZGcvkqQHM0IDoDQ&usg=AFQjCNGmLSiZ-MqZs3_glflhk5qz1KmvgQ&sig2=O0KNeNDotXW6UwFloblUBA&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.aWM">Android</a></b>] to make it easier).<br />
<br />
<div style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto;">
<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/196177561/The-2014-BSI-Friends-Weekend" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View The 2014 BSI & Friends Weekend on Scribd">The 2014 BSI & Friends Weekend</a></div>
<iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="undefined" data-auto-height="false" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_19339" scrolling="no" src="//www.scribd.com/embeds/196177561/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&show_recommendations=true" width="100%"></iframe>

<br />
That sums up our list. Do you have tips as well, dear readers? Please leave them in a comment here on our site or drop us a line and let us know what your secrets are so we can all be the beneficiaries.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Image credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12972897@N00/8378224065/in/photolist-dLmA84-dLmBqD-dLt6Js-dLmJPp-dLt6dL-dLmTwr-dLmRin-dLm7Ag-dLs8kN-dLmLfF-dLnAKZ-dLmSZa-dLkY7g-dLrCKq-dLsb23-dLrwu7-dLsdkJ-dLto4C-dLthGb-dLtjgG-dLnNEc-dLnwqT-dLnzYR-dLtbVu-dLtaJd-dLmTeZ-dLm6GT-dLt1xq-dLnuxc-dLnG9T-dLtngd-dLmKwr-dLsqMs-dLso7o-dLnM6Z-dLsp6Y-dLrwpQ-dLsWww-dLm7iX-dLnqqg-dLtfpC-dLmUDn-dLseam-dLnJKc-dLrDcS-dLm6LD-dLnoog-dLnp7R-dLsfG9-dLsoLY-dLsmLS">Melinda Caric (Flickr)</a></i></span><br />
--<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>

Tips for Navigating the #BSIWeekend

With the BSI Weekend coming up, we thought it might be helpful to provide a series of tips for the veteran attendees and the newbies ali...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Conan Doyle Estate Business Entity on the Legal Decision

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"spinning fine theories" [NOBL]</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf0DtmLOltihZj3sL85HF9AlAtXhdxzzM4Dm9Eb8dn3rJ4e8ChU81vRSGN7AlNGoj45rQxlQzvbsYrGVCRQ0HfyZMAc4rGtlHZOU1QpRd44t5K36b5hD5sOUPNgMjdokPtStP6ION0kp39/s1600/Devil's+Foot+-+Sherlock+desperate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf0DtmLOltihZj3sL85HF9AlAtXhdxzzM4Dm9Eb8dn3rJ4e8ChU81vRSGN7AlNGoj45rQxlQzvbsYrGVCRQ0HfyZMAc4rGtlHZOU1QpRd44t5K36b5hD5sOUPNgMjdokPtStP6ION0kp39/s320/Devil's+Foot+-+Sherlock+desperate.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>
<br />
In a number of press pieces about the #FreeSherlock case, the business entity known as the Conan Doyle Estate, Ltd. gave a reply stating that it would be appealing <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2013/12/plaintiff-victorious-in-free-sherlock.html#.Usg1bMRDuSo" target="_blank">the ruling in the case</a>.<br />
<br />
Benjamin Allison, the lead attorney for the defense, indicated that the organization was not giving up. Although, reading <a href="http://www.sutinfirm.com/announcements/SherlockHolmes2013.asp" target="_blank"> his press release</a> on the subject, it seems to us to indicate that he thinks they were on the winning side:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Santa Fe, N.M. (December 29, 2013) -- A recent ruling from a Chicago trial court held that part of Sherlock Holmes's and Dr. Watson's literary characters are in the public domain, but the decision continues to protect all characteristics of the two men developed in post-1922 stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  The Conan Doyle Estate Ltd. had argued that because the Holmes and Watson characters were not completed by Sir Arthur until a series of stories whose copyrights continue through 2022, the characters remain protected through 2022.  The ruling did not provide a direct answer to this argument and appeared not to acknowledge the basic copyright rule that highly delineated characters are entitled to their own copyright. The Estate hopes to appeal the decision so that Sherlock Holmes and many other significant characters created over a series of novels or stories receive protection for the full copyright term intended by Congress.
<br />
<br />
In the meantime, even under the current ruling from the Chicago trial court, all development of the Holmes and Watson characters by Sir Arthur in ten post-1922 stories remain fully protected by copyright.  These ten stories—set at a variety of earlier points in the two men's fictional lives—contain significant elements of both characters, including Sherlock Holmes's mellowing personality, the change in Holmes’s and Watson's relationship from flatmates and collaborators to closest friends, and a host of other developments, skills, and elements of background. While plaintiff Leslie Klinger sought a ruling that some of these character traits were free for all to use, the Court rejected Mr. Klinger's effort in this regard and held that all such characteristics of Holmes and Watson are protected.<br />
<br />
The Court further modified its ruling as follows: "The Court, however, has already clarified that Mr. Klinger does not seek a judicial determination of the copyright status of the Sherlock Holmes character, however, and thus <u>the Court does not address this issue</u>." (emphasis added).<br />
<br />
Nearly a third of the stories in Mr. Klinger's first co-edited story collection, A Study in Sherlock, use protected post-1922 story elements.  That book's publisher, Random House, appropriately entered into a modest licensing arrangement with the Estate despite Mr. Klinger’s position against such a license.  Mr. Klinger did not provide his second story collection to the Estate, but one of the writers for that new collection told the Estate he wished to use a protected character, Langdale Pike, from the post-1922 stories.  The Chicago Court reiterated that the character is fully protected by copyright law.<br />
<br />
The Conan Doyle Estate’s trademark rights in the SHERLOCK HOLMES name and image were not at issue in Mr. Klinger’s lawsuit and remain unaffected. A new SHERLOCK HOLMES novel licensed by the Estate and written by Anthony Horowitz is due out in 2014, and the International Exhibition of SHERLOCK HOLMES will move in February from its premiere venue in Portland, Oregon, to the next stop on its United States tour, the Center for Science & Industry in Columbus, Ohio.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
# # #</div>
</blockquote>
What are we to make of this? Clearly, we're not legal scholars, but as with any legal decision, this is merely another step in the definition of case law, which is an ever-evolving process. And intellectual property law is probably the trickiest of them. The fun part with lawyers is that whether they land on the winning or losing side, it's never over for them.<br />
<br />
We do question, however, whether or not the characters of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson can be copyrighted - something <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2013/12/special-episode-free-sherlock.html#.UshEn8RDuSp" target="_blank">we covered with Betsy Rosenblatt in our interview with her</a>.<br />
<br />
We'll just leave you with this quote from "The Retired Colourman," appropriately enough from the still-protected 10 stories in <i>The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes:</i><br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
"Is not his story a microcosm of the whole? We reach. We grasp. And what is left in our hands at the end? A shadow." [RETI]</h3>
<br />
--<br />
<br />

Conan Doyle Estate Business Entity on the Legal Decision

"spinning fine theories" [NOBL] In a number of press pieces about the #FreeSherlock case, the business entity known as the ...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

A Curious Sherlock Holmes Appearance

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"Did you notice nothing curious about that advertisement?" [3GAR] </h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrkK2V6Flg0Q-v3h_WLuq_lJryCxoGFW1K5nIgZ_ddgu_rHWp6hCcazHblmeAMtDyAnMvSzwrLANfgsrncXfwTxULE1_WXXy_CUa14Ksvc099ATXUSpUNgVC0hz8EIIO9nQg1HisPfItc0/s1600/Case+of+the+Metal+Sheathed+Elements+-+Sherlock+Watson.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrkK2V6Flg0Q-v3h_WLuq_lJryCxoGFW1K5nIgZ_ddgu_rHWp6hCcazHblmeAMtDyAnMvSzwrLANfgsrncXfwTxULE1_WXXy_CUa14Ksvc099ATXUSpUNgVC0hz8EIIO9nQg1HisPfItc0/s640/Case+of+the+Metal+Sheathed+Elements+-+Sherlock+Watson.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
We were recently reminded of a very obscure appearance of Sherlock Holmes: this industrial film commissioned by the Electricity Council of the UK in 1972 to explain the construction and use of metal sheathed elements. The film sequences include several case studies and feature Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, with a surprise appearance by Mrs. Hudson.<br />
<br />
The film was produced by the Larkins Studio, with animation by Spud Houston, Eileen Matthews and Doug Jensen, with script, storyboard and direction by "Sid Mould." According to the BFI, it features the voices of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0241975/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1" target="_blank">Frank Duncan</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0083424/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1" target="_blank">Norman Bird</a>, as Holmes and Watson.<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="435" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/P9YWbagMWuA" width="580"></iframe></center>
<br />
<br />
Interestingly, Bird had some serious Sherlockian connections:<br />
<ul>
<li>He was Inspector Trent in <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0167703/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_73" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes</a> in 1973 (episode: "The Looting of the Species Room").</li>
<li>Bird portrayed Inspector Street in <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0861749/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_75" target="_blank">The Comedy Playhouse</a></i>, also in 1973 in the episode "Elementary My Dear Watson."</li>
<li>He continued with voice over work when he portrayed Sir Charles Baskerville in the <a href="http://www.merrisonholmes.com/the_roger_rees_hound.php" target="_blank">BBC Radio production of <i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i></a> in 1988.</li>
<li>And he appeared as Anthony Denham in the episode "A Motive for Murder" in the 1979 <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298697/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_40" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson</a></i> series, starring Geoffrey Whitehead as Sherlock Holmes and Donald Pickering as Dr. Watson.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZmjjzBG4iuAV40hf4GWP8UnHxa8jj9R326hdY2DFJT2ySGc8ZoRiX1ZvkYkTKh6kovAWWWZ_1YIVp60tnK0H69gQrSikoIygc-s_YmN5rnWxxYqd3Lmi3IrPXsfQY4XpoGLDhJsh455y/s1600/Pickering+Whitehead+Newell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZmjjzBG4iuAV40hf4GWP8UnHxa8jj9R326hdY2DFJT2ySGc8ZoRiX1ZvkYkTKh6kovAWWWZ_1YIVp60tnK0H69gQrSikoIygc-s_YmN5rnWxxYqd3Lmi3IrPXsfQY4XpoGLDhJsh455y/s1600/Pickering+Whitehead+Newell.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Donald Pickering, Geoffrey Whitehead and Patrick Newell<br />
in the 1979-80 series <i>Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson</i>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
And in a further twist - just to demonstrate how Sherlock Holmes connects nearly every actor - you may recognize the actor portraying Inspector Lestrade above as <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0627822/" target="_blank">Patrick Newell</a>, who also played Blessington in the Granada production of "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0506455/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_10" target="_blank">The Resident Patient</a>," with Jeremy Brett in the lead as Sherlock Holmes.<br />
<br />
At any rate, this is one of many uses of Sherlock Holmes in advertising - a practice that goes back to his creator's time. This was the topic of the 2009 <i>Baker Street Journal Christmas Annual</i>: <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/christmasannual2009.html" target="_blank">"Did you notice nothing curious about that advertisement?"</a><br />
<br />
And lest we miss an opportunity to mention the #FreeSherlock movement, the final frame indicates:<br />
"<i><b>The characters of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson used by arrangement with Baskervilles Investments Limited</b></i>." Evidently, an earlier incarnation of the Conan Doyle Estate, Ltd. organization.<br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />

A Curious Sherlock Holmes Appearance

"Did you notice nothing curious about that advertisement?" [3GAR] We were recently reminded of a very obscure appearance of ...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Remembering Fr. Leonard Cochran, BSI

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"The aged ecclesiastic had turned his face towards me" [FINA]</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvZH5C2pPNoga8w_pD5doV6SGr94buuS5fcrIOSLtSLQaUrOU4KBzyx2zOwZ72glVg8LPPi9rXLYOkHmteE4IdS8kVna-NGYKmzuJNStzLL-T0Umb2Q76lqvjnzkDPPaPj-qo2riYGslP/s1600/Fr.+Leonard+Cochran.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvZH5C2pPNoga8w_pD5doV6SGr94buuS5fcrIOSLtSLQaUrOU4KBzyx2zOwZ72glVg8LPPi9rXLYOkHmteE4IdS8kVna-NGYKmzuJNStzLL-T0Umb2Q76lqvjnzkDPPaPj-qo2riYGslP/s1600/Fr.+Leonard+Cochran.jpg" width="302" /></a></div>
<br /><br />Father George Leonard Cochran died in Ohio on March 30th at the age of 84. He attended Providence College's pre-ecclesiastical program from 1947-1949. After working in the advertising department of a firm in Atlanta, GA, he joined the Air Force in 1951 and served in Germany. He was honorably discharged in 1955 with the rank of staff sergeant and entered the Dominican Friars at St. Peter Martyr Priory in Minnesota, receiving the religious name Leonard.<br /><br />Father Cochran earned a BA in philosophy from St. Thomas Aquinas College in Illinois and an MA in theology from Aquinas Institute of Theology in Iowa. He was ordained a priest in 1962.<br /><br />While in Illinois, Father Cochran taught English and theology at Fenwick High School, serving as chair of the English Department from 1964-1969. He then earned an MA and Ph.D. in English from Loyola University, where he taught English, and an MA in liberal arts from St. John's College in Annapolis Maryland.<br /><br />In 1980 Father Cochran joined the Providence College faculty, where he taught English, philosophy, and humanities before retiring with the rank of associate professor in 2002.<br /><br />A member of the Poetry Society of America, Father Cochran was a lyricist, prolific poet, and scholar of the writing of Gerard Manley Hopkins. His poems and articles appeared in dozens of periodicals including The Atlantic Monthly, religious and scholarly journals, and literary magazines.<div>
<br />Father Cochran was a member of Hugo's Companions and published several articles in the Baker Street Journal. He was invested into the Baker Street Irregulars in 1973 as "Cardinal Tosca."<br /><br /><i>Do you have any connection with or memories of Father Cochran? Please share them below.</i><br />--</div>
<div>
<br /><br /></div>

Remembering Fr. Leonard Cochran, BSI

"The aged ecclesiastic had turned his face towards me" [FINA] Father George Leonard Cochran died in Ohio on March 30th at the ...

+ Read more »

by Francine Kitts

Weekly Sherlock Links Compendium (December 14 - December 31, 2013)

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<b>"It is the season of forgiveness." [BLUE]</b></h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOoLrtcU5Rrcyni6jxJT4g1_32GdUrhJYkJeg7WwhkOWOR-IoMUUNJZkYByXVTK3ZUCfJuX3LGqTOt3SoUXiUWbY4p_zD1bNihFF_HoP1GPeUyrihet9uzc6vUjT4gV-ghUnH40j0ET-w/s1600/WatsonCourtBig.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOoLrtcU5Rrcyni6jxJT4g1_32GdUrhJYkJeg7WwhkOWOR-IoMUUNJZkYByXVTK3ZUCfJuX3LGqTOt3SoUXiUWbY4p_zD1bNihFF_HoP1GPeUyrihet9uzc6vUjT4gV-ghUnH40j0ET-w/s1600/WatsonCourtBig.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
#FreeSherlock judgment was all over the news, The Grand Game trading card project sets up a Kickstarter page, Sherlock Holmes meets Doctor Who, commemorating Blue Carbuncle Day, an issue of <i>The Solar Pons Gazette</i> appears after a five-year hiatus, a new online collection of Sherlockian essays, the British Library shares over one million public domain images, why you should love <i>Sherlock</i>, a controversy sparked during a pre-screening of "The Empty Hearse," what happens when 12 Sherlockians get together online to collaborate on a pastiche, a list of 99 Sherlock-related books, Season 3 of BBC's <i>Sherlock </i>premiered in the UK and more in the final Weekly Sherlock Links Compendium of 2013 by Matt Laffey.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://free-sherlock.com/2013/12/27/december-2013-ruling/" target="_blank"><b>Free Sherlock vs Sherlock Copyright Holders</b></a> - known legally as "Leslie S. Klinger vs Conan Doyle Estate, Ltd." - has come to a conclusion after 10 months of legal wrangling, acrimonious message board rants and a fair amount of amateur legal speculation one might expect from an intellectual property case lodged at the intersection of internet pop culture and a long and storied history of copyright controversy. Perhaps the most news worthy Sherlockian story to appear in the final days of 2013 (if you don't count that 'other' piece of news about the air dates for a certain Holmes adaptation featuring a certain dreamy Sherlock), it's a tangled skein best left to the experts to interpret and explain. From <a href="http://free-sherlock.com/2013/12/27/december-2013-ruling/" target="_blank">FreeSherlock</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"The ruling is a victory for the plaintiff Leslie S. Klinger, who sought to establish that the Estate was wrong in claiming that no new stories could be written about Holmes or Watson without the Estate’s permission. “Sherlock Holmes belongs to the world,” Klinger said. “This ruling clearly establishes that. Whether it’s a re-imagining in modern dress (like the BBC’s <i>Sherlock</i> or CBS-TV’s <i>Elementary</i>), vigorous interpretations like the Warner Bros. fine Sherlock Holmes films, or new stories by countless authors inspired by the characters, people want to celebrate Holmes and Watson. Now they can do so without fear of suppression by Conan Doyle’s heirs.”" </blockquote>
You can read a PDF of the entire "<a href="http://freesherlock.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/klinger-order-on-motion-for-summary-judgment-c.pdf" target="_blank">Order on the Motion for Summary Judgment</a>" which may sound kind of boring, but out of all the material that's available online regarding <i>Klinger vs Estate</i>, this will give you the best sense of 1) what the actual dispute is about and what it is not about, 2) what Klinger and ACD Estate agree on, 3) what Klinger and Estate do not agree on, 4) why Klinger thinks 'elements' from post-1923 stories are not protected, 5) why the judge thinks Klinger is wrong on #4 because what Klinger calls "elements" are in fact protected as characters, plots, etc. and 6) what some of the implications are for authors and publishers. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixaly1PvYgI1AarINVjpB1hworJpunHfdGtTBPB3SAuQoTnT5K55cK5r68i9pgpxdwtKDOhqMiDH0EIs4wIFpxQMIUtfcqHQQpIve0aUZuAKL_nKZhZR8tfm98zdQuclrUEmd1rNdM8tw/s1600/KlingerOffice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixaly1PvYgI1AarINVjpB1hworJpunHfdGtTBPB3SAuQoTnT5K55cK5r68i9pgpxdwtKDOhqMiDH0EIs4wIFpxQMIUtfcqHQQpIve0aUZuAKL_nKZhZR8tfm98zdQuclrUEmd1rNdM8tw/s1600/KlingerOffice.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Plaintiff Les Klinger in his LA law office surrounded by the spoils of a life dedicated to the Great Detective. When not annotating things or attempting to thwart copyright laws Klinger is an attorney in California and I sometimes wonder if new clients of his, encountering an office packed with Sherlockiana, are instilled with extreme confidence (e.g. Sherlock Holmes was like a giant brain so my attorney must be a giant brain!) or extreme concern (e.g. when does this guy have time to work on lawyer stuff?).]</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.sutinfirm.com/announcements/SherlockHolmes2013.asp" target="_blank"><b>Counsel for the Conan Doyle Estate Ltd.</b></a> Benjamin Allison reacted and interpreted the ruling a bit differently than Klinger in "Ruling Continues to Protect Much of Sherlock Holmes's Character; Conan Doyle Estate Considers Appeal" pointing out that<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"under the current ruling from the Chicago trial court, all development of the Holmes and Watson characters by Sir Arthur in ten post-1922 stories remain fully protected by copyright. These ten stories - set at a variety of earlier points in the two men's fictional lives - contain significant elements of both characters, including Sherlock Holmes's mellowing personality, the change in Holmes’s and Watson's relationship from flatmates and collaborators to closest friends, and a host of other developments, skills, and elements of background. While plaintiff Leslie Klinger sought a ruling that some of these character traits were free for all to use, the Court rejected Mr. Klinger's effort in this regard and held that all such characteristics of Holmes and Watson are protected." </blockquote>
Allison makes an interesting point that helps frame the scope of why any of this actually matters:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Nearly a third of the stories in Mr. Klinger's first co-edited story collection, <a href="http://amzn.to/1ey4MtY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>A Study in Sherlock</i></a>, use protected post-1922 story elements. That book's publisher, Random House, appropriately entered into a modest licensing arrangement with the Estate despite Mr. Klinger’s position against such a license. Mr. Klinger did not provide his second story collection to the Estate, but one of the writers for that new collection told the Estate he wished to use a protected character, Langdale Pike, from the post-1922 stories. The Chicago Court reiterated that the character is fully protected by copyright law." </blockquote>
If I was a rumor mongering blogger-type I might mention something like: rumor has it that the catalyst for the entire copyright hullabaloo was a casual mention of Langdale Pike...and the rest is legal history.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn0xyjlC3nidHGOLL0NkwaP1QagH2BGRO33FHFIk8asRuqFBQ5xhue20EckBnq9OIPdEHqKFI9_VrUfvX1gROCgTSKe50K4KuRJ-qGNrzgM2yqTJiSd3E6clHdveu3cekidYAW8pqezHw/s1600/Pike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn0xyjlC3nidHGOLL0NkwaP1QagH2BGRO33FHFIk8asRuqFBQ5xhue20EckBnq9OIPdEHqKFI9_VrUfvX1gROCgTSKe50K4KuRJ-qGNrzgM2yqTJiSd3E6clHdveu3cekidYAW8pqezHw/s1600/Pike.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: start;">[</span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0943936/" style="text-align: start;" target="_blank">Peter Wyngarde</a><span style="text-align: start;"> as Langdale Pike in the Granada adaptation of "</span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646187/" style="text-align: start;" target="_blank">The Three Gables</a><span style="text-align: start;">."]</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Betsy Rosenblatt posted an essay on the Baker Street Babes website exploring some of the real-world implications of the #FreeSherlock ruling in "<a href="http://bakerstreetbabes.com/what-does-the-free-sherlock-ruling-mean-for-fans/" target="_blank">What does the Free Sherlock ruling mean for fans?</a>" I encourage anyone unclear about various aspects of this case and/or anyone interested in reading a fascinating enumeration of the more pragmatic ins and outs of the case. My personal favorite bit in Rosenblatt's essay concerns a Canonical point the judge got wrong, which also illustrates a bit about the limitations of the ruling (in both directions):<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Keen Sherlockian eyes will observe that the judge got one point factually wrong: Sherlock Holmes’ retirement was first described in "<a href="http://ignisart.com/camdenhouse/canon/last.htm" target="_blank">His Last Bow</a>" (one of the public domain stories), not the 1926 "<a href="http://ignisart.com/camdenhouse/canon/lion.htm" target="_blank">The Adventure of the Lion’s Mane</a>". What does that factual error mean for fans? Probably not much, since this factual finding won’t bind future courts. Based on the legal principle articulated in the case, Holmes’s retirement to the South Downs, on a small farm among his bees and books, including <i>The Practical Handbook of Bee Culture, with some Observations upon the Segregation of the Queen</i>, are in the public domain - but the details of his retirement setting, and (of course) the storyline of "The Lion’s Mane", are still protected." </blockquote>
If you're still having difficulty explaining the finer points of Klinger vs ACD Estate to your friend who keeps on asking whether or not he can start writing a Fifty Shades of Grey-Sherlock parody, see the NY Times article "<a href="http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/12/27/sherlock-holmes-is-in-the-public-domain-american-judge-rules/" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes Is in the Public Domain, American Judge Rules</a>" (with accompanying <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederic_Dorr_Steele" target="_blank">Frederic Dorr Steele</a> illustration) for further analysis.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAyBg8GwyouoPOI5tqB0GIEjljqNQJVeJxDAKiBbhLjFnEMTx0G9QeQaI_vFw9ftGVVDCtP9nKTCJn1KZ5NIgc951fhQIp-fZpYk9lSFHLPuuaGcVkME5cJhAKvc-8BbrAx0o1IbFyHpE/s1600/lion-51-1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAyBg8GwyouoPOI5tqB0GIEjljqNQJVeJxDAKiBbhLjFnEMTx0G9QeQaI_vFw9ftGVVDCtP9nKTCJn1KZ5NIgc951fhQIp-fZpYk9lSFHLPuuaGcVkME5cJhAKvc-8BbrAx0o1IbFyHpE/s1600/lion-51-1.gif" width="233" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Sadly, your other friend's slash fanfic featuring Sherlock and the jellyfish from LION cannot be published in the U.S.A. without paying a fee to the Conan Doyle Estate until 2022.]</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, on a related #FreeSherlock note, released<a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2013/12/special-episode-free-sherlock.html" target="_blank"> a special podcast episode of IHOSE</a> covering the Klinger vs Conan Doyle Estate, Ltd. ruling featuring interviews with the plaintiff himself <a href="https://twitter.com/lklinger" target="_blank">Les Klinger</a> as well as IP Law scholar and noted Sherlockian <a href="https://twitter.com/221Betsy" target="_blank">Betsy Rosenblatt</a> (BSI, ASH):<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"We were once again joined by Les, who outlined the background of the case and discussed some of the legal aspects of copyright that have led us to this juncture. We try to keep the discussion as interesting as possible for the lay people out there, and Les even manages to bring in the 1902 coronation of Edward VII as part of the case law history....[and] Betsy touches on some additional points that will undoubtedly be of interest." </blockquote>
Instead of ending the show with a relevant <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/" target="_blank">Baker Street Journal</a> 'Editor's Gas-Lamp' Scott and Burt read from the late Joseph Merriam's musings on "the impact of the legal profession within the Sherlock Holmes stories, citing six separate examples of the law and lawyers within the Canon." Originally presented at a Spring 1992 meeting of <a href="http://www.sh-whoswho.com/index.php?refsociety=215" target="_blank">The Speckled Band of Boston</a>, Merriam's essay is available online as a handwritten document titled "<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/194677142/Impact-of-the-Law-on-the-Sherlock-Holmes-Stories" target="_blank">Impact of the Law on the Sherlock Holmes Stories</a>" and is a hoot to read.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZzudx4OzyeFkn0nUS2A4K596LQTMD3bvHKZgz4QYQcWjQ1eYL3k84DrTqcUBJrzQFG_qFx1ejpu3TK1ZO6JdRq3PZo7oqRGlhMTu0VeJj8WDnePnW4cMpcgNerwPFKdueKz6hJmhbdc/s1600/Coronation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZzudx4OzyeFkn0nUS2A4K596LQTMD3bvHKZgz4QYQcWjQ1eYL3k84DrTqcUBJrzQFG_qFx1ejpu3TK1ZO6JdRq3PZo7oqRGlhMTu0VeJj8WDnePnW4cMpcgNerwPFKdueKz6hJmhbdc/s1600/Coronation.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: start;">[A scene from </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Coronation_of_Edward_VII" style="text-align: start;" target="_blank">The Coronation of Edward VII</a><span style="text-align: start;"> (1902), a short film by George Méliès and Charles Urban which reenacts the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. Watch the short film in its entirety </span><a href="http://youtu.be/FuiWsRZO8fU" style="text-align: start;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="text-align: start;">. ]</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/671443567/the-grand-game-fan-inspired-trading-cards-sherlock" target="_blank">The Grand Game</a></b>, the fan-inspired Sherlockian trading card project first announced here in <a href="http://always1895.net/post/66066444366/weekly-sherlock-links-compendium-october-26-november" target="_blank">October</a>, is close to completion but needs your assistance! "With your help we can move this project to the final stages. We have been able to develop and design the first set of the cards honoring the fans of Sherlock Holmes. It is our hope that it will be the first of many sets to come." Collectors interested in the project might consider donating at the $150 level for which they'll receive a Hobby Box (10 packs of cards) of The Grand Game - Sherlock Holmes Trading Cards w/ one box redemption (a $200 value). There's also an accompanying <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/671443567/the-grand-game-fan-inspired-trading-cards-sherlock/widget/video.html" target="_blank">eight minute video</a> narrated by the creator of the card project, second generation Sherlockian Brian Rogers, which explains the history and philosophy behind The Grand Game Trading Cards, a myriad of gorgeous artwork examples and details on how you can help. To learn more about the project itself, read through the <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/671443567/the-grand-game-fan-inspired-trading-cards-sherlock" target="_blank">Kickstarter</a> page and check out The Grand Game on <a href="http://facebook.com/gotsherlock" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and follow their <a href="https://twitter.com/gotsherlock" target="_blank">Twitter</a> for updates and special offers.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjczCUR6nFE_OnLnrUglsK0rmJ5vZZpDJeSgTViPqE8iD9XIKAXDgZDYJBnnb0HHhykw-aMuY47MiNEisyDzoT8y2GbV-_IIRpBrAX4gumAqOFfil1L-RJGH3u17pfdep_HfPecX-SGNJM/s1600/KlingerCard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjczCUR6nFE_OnLnrUglsK0rmJ5vZZpDJeSgTViPqE8iD9XIKAXDgZDYJBnnb0HHhykw-aMuY47MiNEisyDzoT8y2GbV-_IIRpBrAX4gumAqOFfil1L-RJGH3u17pfdep_HfPecX-SGNJM/s1600/KlingerCard.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Les Klinger's trading card from The Grand Game, Series One.]</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3bGYljQ5Uw" target="_blank">Sherlock Meets the Doctor</a></b> (released December 11, 2013 and first covered on these pages <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2013/12/this-fan-created-wholock-video-is.html" target="_blank">on December 12</a>), the fan mashup video sensation released which brilliantly and seamlessly merged footage from BBC Sherlock and Doctor Who (Matt Smith), was all the rage this December garnering attention from sites as diverse as the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/15/sherlock-holmes-doctor-wh_n_4449215.html">Huffington Post</a> to <a href="http://tv.yahoo.com/blogs/tv-news/when--doctor-who--met--sherlock---video--210215973.html">Yahoo TV</a> to <a href="http://www.tor.com/blogs/2013/12/sherlock-meets-the-doctor-stunning-fanmade-video-warms-our-wintry-hearts">Tor</a> as well as pretty much every Sherlock and Doctor Who blog in existence, winning almost unanimous support from both fandoms, as the Internet seemed to shout in unison "Best Fan Video Ever!", an assessment that's pretty close to the mark. If you're interested in how the video was created as well as a look at the original shots used, see <a href="http://youtu.be/1Zrn37KzxuE" target="_blank">Wholock - VFX Breakdown</a>.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZ2EhXv4eyDWGDVvXKsv6ujFv8uPFSgYbV5hOvFnVUf8M_I9bwk73VzjC4UVCcUwso2jGFZlGgE2OotagCDEtYbOvUmrZdlmCCsTJWt4-r-3HrMLZhtf8ZZf8PF18cdvUsWAwVglR1jc/s1600/WhoLock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZ2EhXv4eyDWGDVvXKsv6ujFv8uPFSgYbV5hOvFnVUf8M_I9bwk73VzjC4UVCcUwso2jGFZlGgE2OotagCDEtYbOvUmrZdlmCCsTJWt4-r-3HrMLZhtf8ZZf8PF18cdvUsWAwVglR1jc/s1600/WhoLock.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Sherlock Holmes + Doctor Who = Look out all time and space!!]</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Dan Andriacco celebrates that most Sherlockian-specific of holidays, Blue Carbuncle Day, better known as "the second day after Christmas"[<a href="http://ignisart.com/camdenhouse/canon/blue.htm">BLUE</a>]. In "<a href="http://bakerstreetbeat.blogspot.com/2013/12/saving-mr-baker.html" target="_blank">Saving Mr Baker</a>" Andriacco muses "Do you ever wonder what happened between Mr. Henry Baker and his wife after he walked off the pages of "The Blue Carbuncle" with his replacement goose?" I'll see Andriacco's question and raise him another one: Do you ever wonder what happened to the upper-attendant of the Hotel Cosmopolitan, hapless schlemiel Mr. James Ryder, the de facto villain of the piece. Ryder is systematically tracked down by Holmes, lured to 221B and then cajoled into a confession, only to then throw himself upon Holmes' mercy. Following one of the most pathetic scenes in the Canon (cf. Paget illustration below) Holmes, ostensibly moved by "the season of forgiveness," pardons Ryder. Immediately following Ryder's departure,   good old predictable Watson expresses his middle class outrage at Holmes (once again) taking the law into his own hands, only to be appeased by Holmes' 'jailbird for life' explanation - an explanation I've always found questionable in light of one, it's rather loose logic and two, Holmes' earlier stressing of "the season of forgiveness". In short, I've always thought this scene is one of the greatest counter examples to the argument that Holmes is nothing but "the most perfect reasoning and observing machine".<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHqlZiIthvY8DEKZ4f6cyZ_fP2oEeZD2UsNb6KNHVq3dDtKOCuLyv-msx67N1r-9q9zhyOUA1FAx7EHCo2-gyFkutrGHRwDdalG8e5WLfD6NzMIQW1JYtnGB3Ldn4GkzrIIn6uzLaIEI4/s1600/84.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHqlZiIthvY8DEKZ4f6cyZ_fP2oEeZD2UsNb6KNHVq3dDtKOCuLyv-msx67N1r-9q9zhyOUA1FAx7EHCo2-gyFkutrGHRwDdalG8e5WLfD6NzMIQW1JYtnGB3Ldn4GkzrIIn6uzLaIEI4/s1600/84.jpg" width="315" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: start;">["Ryder threw himself down suddenly upon the rug and clutched at my companion’s knees. “For God’s sake, have mercy!” he shrieked. “Think of my father! of my mother! It would break their hearts. I never went wrong before! I never will again. I swear it. I’ll swear it on a Bible. Oh, don’t bring it into court! For Christ’s sake, don’t!”" (</span><a href="http://ignisart.com/camdenhouse/canon/blue.htm" style="text-align: start;">BLUE</a><span style="text-align: start;">).]</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://www.solarpons.com/Annual_2013_1.pdf" target="_blank"><b>The Solar Pons Gazette</b></a> (December 2013, Vol 4.1 No 5), published by Bob Byrne, is the newsletter dedicated to American mystery author <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_Derleth" target="_blank">August Derleth</a>'s detective <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_Pons" target="_blank">Solar Pons</a>, described as "the best substitute for Sherlock Holmes known" by the godfather of all things Sherlockian Vincent Starrett. The last issue of <i>The Solar Pons Gazette</i> was released over 5 years ago but as editor Bob Byrne explains "after a long break from the work of August Derleth, I've returned to the deerstalkered demesne of the Sherlock Holmes of Praed Street. I kick it off with my 'second' introductory essay on Pons." The 44 page December 2013 issue is packed with commentary on classic Pons adventures, a Solar Pons pastiche, excerpts from the notebooks of Pon's sidekick (his Watson) Dr. Parker, an old essay by Chris Redmond (of <a href="http://sherlockian.net/">Sherlockian.net</a> fame) from The Pontine Dossier (1977, Vol. 2 No. 3) and a reprint of an essay that should be of interest to both Derleth and Lovecraft fans entitled "Solar Pons and the Cthulhu Mythos." To learn more about August Derleth, visit the August Derleth Society’s website at: <a href="http://www.derleth.org/">http://www.derleth.org</a>. If you've never stopped in at 7B Praed Street, your first adventure with Solar Pons and Dr Parker can feel eerily familiar, like returning to the neighborhood in which you grew up  - while you'll have no problem finding your way around, the details and scale are 'off' just enough, producing a sense of temporary vertigo that mostly clears allowing you to enjoy the trip as a novelty, but not quite as home. Regardless, it's still a treat occasionally spending time in Derleth's world which is so lovingly modeled after the more familiar environs of Baker Street.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicoBv8Iwgc8HQKrfsB93v3LQahE5o_YkVCaKUp3MrgaLkTIaPo1tLDzYQL-oz7_nUoDS9NaohliczmDERQS1eMffJGidDBRGQ7oJ-1kf9CDbfaIKzc6n36-IcjFXaVFiWbGj0NvTiGkfk/s1600/Gazette_Masthead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicoBv8Iwgc8HQKrfsB93v3LQahE5o_YkVCaKUp3MrgaLkTIaPo1tLDzYQL-oz7_nUoDS9NaohliczmDERQS1eMffJGidDBRGQ7oJ-1kf9CDbfaIKzc6n36-IcjFXaVFiWbGj0NvTiGkfk/s1600/Gazette_Masthead.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: start;">[Back from a five year hiatus, The Solar Pons Gazette is the official newsletter of </span><a href="http://www.solarpons.com/" style="text-align: start;" target="_blank">www.SolarPons.com</a><span style="text-align: start;"> (to be relaunched soon), both of which are maintained and edited by longtime Ponsian Mr Bob Byrne.]</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.nplh.co.uk/the-diogenes-club-library.html" target="_blank"><b>Diogenes Club Library</b></a>, a new concept/project from <a href="https://twitter.com/NPLH_221B" target="_blank">Ross K. Foad</a> of <a href="http://www.nplh.co.uk/" target="_blank">No Place Like Holmes</a>, seeks to be "the reading room of the site and houses an easy to navigate place for the essays NPLH has published so far (including all of <a href="http://www.nplh.co.uk/2/post/2013/11/quiet-please.html" target="_blank">Howards Ostrom's 'Silent Doyle' essays</a> mentioned <a href="http://always1895.net/post/68867897844/weekly-sherlock-links-compendium-november-23" target="_blank">previously on Always1895</a>). Ross K is actively seeking scholars and enthusiasts alike who might be interested in seeing work of their own on a larger platform in submitting essays for consideration at moment." Foad's project has all the makings of an excellent online Sherlockian resource that will benefit Holmes fans of all persuasions.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://boingboing.net/2013/12/13/british-library-uploads-one-mi.html" target="_blank">The British Library announcement</a> that they've uploaded "<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/britishlibrary" target="_blank">one million public domain scans</a> from 17th-19th century books to Flickr! They're embarking on an ambitious programme to <a href="http://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/digital-scholarship/2013/12/a-million-first-steps.html" target="_blank">crowdsource novel uses and navigation tools</a> for the huge corpus. Already, the manifest of image descriptions is available <a href="https://github.com/BL-Labs/imagedirectory">through Github</a>." I've ran a few preliminary searches and since most of the scans are from books that pre-date the publication of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Study_in_Scarlet" target="_blank"><i>A Study in Scarlet</i></a> there's not much in the way of Sherlock Holmes or ACD material beyond The Strand and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidney_Paget" target="_blank">Sidney Paget</a> illustrations from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Sherlock_Holmes" target="_blank"><i>The Adventures</i></a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Memoirs_of_Sherlock_Holmes" target="_blank"><i>The Memoirs</i></a> but I'm sure the corpus will provide plenty of excellent and useful material one might use for a variety of research projects. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVGLcF4jiyVVZAvMoplBuqq4Vc3Vx8rKB0uyitvtPNOdYiwbbotlRGWod6uoBneJE2IHqJNvBl7reAg06p9ckOctCsQxEKgydhZjF-PUWsSqMAx_9hrp3ktWhr5OKudw1TLGlNWsuajk/s1600/britlibrary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVGLcF4jiyVVZAvMoplBuqq4Vc3Vx8rKB0uyitvtPNOdYiwbbotlRGWod6uoBneJE2IHqJNvBl7reAg06p9ckOctCsQxEKgydhZjF-PUWsSqMAx_9hrp3ktWhr5OKudw1TLGlNWsuajk/s1600/britlibrary.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Image taken from page 133 of Cook's Handbook for London, just one of the million pictures available for free from the British Library corpus.]</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kl7cI40Jz-w" target="_blank"><b>5 Reasons Why You Should Love Sherlock</b></a> video put together by Kristina of the <a href="http://bakerstreetbabes.com/" target="_blank">Baker Street Babes</a> celebrates the very imminent return of BBC Sherlock. <a href="https://twitter.com/LyndsayFaye" target="_blank">Lyndsay Faye</a> and an assortment of other Babes assist Kristina in reviewing just why you should love the Great Detective: "From canonical references to otterlock, it has it all.".<br />
<br />
<a href="http://alistaird221b.blogspot.com/2013/12/sherlock-at-bfi-aka-morangate.html" target="_blank">Doyleockian reports on events</a> surrounding <a href="http://bakerstreetbabes.com/world-premiere-of-sherlock-s3-e1-the-empty-hearse-to-be-held-at-the-bfi-on-december-15/" target="_blank">the pre-screening</a> of "The Empty Hearse" on December 15, 2013 at the BFI in London - an event that will be remembered for time immemorial (or at least for another Internet cycle or two) for igniting a controversy based not on the audience's reaction to the BBC <i>Sherlock </i>Season 3 premiere, but for a series of comments made /questions asked by one of the Q & A hosts, Caitlan Moran. <a href="http://www.london-reviews.co.uk/2013/12/15/sherlock-season-3-preview-bfi-empty-hearse/" target="_blank"><i>London Reviews</i> covers the entire 'story'</a> but the gist of it seems to be that Moran, who was supposed to be moderating the panel by asking questions related to the episode just watched, asked a set of silly, rude and unrelated questions and then proceeded to read aloud an example of Sherlock fanfiction she found 'funny' - without the permission of the author whose thoughts on Morangate can be read <a href="http://mildredandbobbin.tumblr.com/">here</a> - but turned out to be ultra explicit making the crowd and panel (Cumberbatch, Moffat, etc.) uncomfortable. As you might expect, Twitter and other Sherlock fandom frequented social media sites reacted immediately and throughout the next few days. A few days later <a href="https://twitter.com/alistaird221b" target="_blank">Alistair Duncan</a> followed up his original post with <a href="http://alistaird221b.blogspot.com/2013/12/wow-that-all-got-bit-mad-didnt-it.html" target="_blank">some comments</a> about the 'Morangate' fallout, and that's about all there is worth reporting. Make of this what you will. In the grand scheme of Sherlockian things happening over the next month or two it's just an insignificant Internet blip that is sure to be overshadowed and then forgotten. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxpLN8J5qgTTxFbO-8YeS7wRLU2u1FD-4B2AwZIv7T0BtDLvO20Gqsai6R0iYcWiF3mrkZ_taBGA7dGbsNWk1Pon4R2DDSqRw6jhP2D2iUr93HHkcL59os4OvA0vXY5IJs4MgJJ97Pas0/s1600/BFIQandA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxpLN8J5qgTTxFbO-8YeS7wRLU2u1FD-4B2AwZIv7T0BtDLvO20Gqsai6R0iYcWiF3mrkZ_taBGA7dGbsNWk1Pon4R2DDSqRw6jhP2D2iUr93HHkcL59os4OvA0vXY5IJs4MgJJ97Pas0/s1600/BFIQandA.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Q & A panel at the BFI pre-screening of <i>The Empty Hearse</i>.]</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Girl Meets Sherlock, a blog by <a href="https://twitter.com/Pickwick12" target="_blank">Amy Thomas</a>, posted "<a href="http://girlmeetssherlock.wordpress.com/2013/12/31/2013-sherlockian-year-in-review/" target="_blank">2013: Sherlockian Year in Review</a>" featuring personal Sherlockian highlights including the publication of her second pastiche <i>The Detective, The Woman and The Winking Tree</i> on MX and her one year anniversary as a Baker Street Babe as well as general Sherlockian fun such as 221B Con and Save Undershaw with a last minute inclusion of <i>The Adventure of the Crowd-Sourced Adventure</i> (cf. next entry) which occurred in the last days of 2013.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.sherlockian.net/pastiches/crowdsourced.html" target="_blank"><b>The Adventure of the Crowd-Sourced Adventure</b></a>, written via Facebook in a two-hour period on December 29, 2013, is a collaborative effort by the following group of Sherlockians: Susan Bailey, C. A. Brown, Lindsay Colwell, Eva Garcia, Elinor Hickey, Jennifer Ribble Jones, Jaime Mahoney, Trix Middlekauff, Chris Redmond, Amy Thomas, Ray Wilcockson and Vincent W. Wright. "The waning days of December 1895 brought with them one of the most remarkable and yet untold cases in Sherlock Holmes's career, which began one cold, foggy evening as I was preparing to depart the consulting-room of my medical practice and was startled by an unexpected knock on the door...." You can read <a href="http://www.sherlockian.net/pastiches/crowdsourced.html" target="_blank">the entire text at Sherlockian.net</a>.<br />
<br />
MX Publishing's owner Steve Emecz's collected his <a href="http://mxpublishing.tumblr.com/post/71606274987/99-sherlock-holmes-books-on-kindle" target="_blank">99 favorite Sherlock-related books</a>, which are all available on Amazon, and displayed the front covers via his <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/sherlockbooks/amazon-usa-kindle-sherlock-holmes-books/" target="_blank">Pinterest page</a>. On a related note, Steve and his wife have spent their <a href="http://mxpublishing.tumblr.com/post/71497276621/what-does-a-sherlock-holmes-publisher-do-at-christmas" target="_blank">Christmas holiday in Kenya</a> researching a book on a project called 'Happy Life':<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"an ambitious project in Kenya that has already saved and had adopted over 160 abandoned children from the slums of Nairobi. <i>The Happy Life Story</i> book will share the success of the program and be a great resource for prospective adoptive parents full of case studies and information on how the project has grown...And of course we’ll make sure that there will be plenty of Sherlock Holmes books for the older children…." </blockquote>
Check out their <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sharonemecz/the-happy-life-story/posts/706573" target="_blank">Kickstarter page</a> for details.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpUY1WJvtyjSD_fltPi0XamgPQH4EVE9y1vliV2IHFnORxjKYqFOGEcR3tax02QWffPuTXTEtv2rhXu4hM91Q3UQg9JHJvl6PkUwi-2ysST8mg0JmCXkVnc6-8iNXRMHcIbHqr1jbAOHI/s1600/LighterSide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpUY1WJvtyjSD_fltPi0XamgPQH4EVE9y1vliV2IHFnORxjKYqFOGEcR3tax02QWffPuTXTEtv2rhXu4hM91Q3UQg9JHJvl6PkUwi-2ysST8mg0JmCXkVnc6-8iNXRMHcIbHqr1jbAOHI/s1600/LighterSide.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[My favorite 2013 MX Publishing release: The Lighter Side of Sherlock Holmes: The Sherlockian Artwork of Norman Schatell edited by Glenn Schatell.]</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<h4>
BBC Sherlock Series 3 (Spoiler-Free) Links:</h4>
<br />
BBC One, as every Sherlockian fan in the universe is now aware,<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b018ttws" target="_blank"> announced at long last the air dates</a> for "The Empty Hearse," the Season 3 premier of <i>Sherlock</i>. On January 1, 2014 at 8:00 pm GMT, viewers in the UK get to find out just how Sherlock survived the plunge off the roof of St. Barts, but North American fans will have to wait until January 19, 2014 when the episode officially airs on <a href="http://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2013/10/sherlock-premiere-jan-19-pbs-air-back-back-downton/" target="_blank">BBC America</a> and PBS. By the time you're reading this, "The Empty Hearse" will have already aired in the UK - hence available online for those with the ability and moral laxness to download TV shows illegally - but I've held off including any information in this post about the episode so as not to ruin any surprises or reveal any spoilers for those waiting to watch on Sunday, January 19th (which happens to be the final day of the <a href="http://www.bsiweekend.com/" target="_blank">BSI Weekend</a> 2014 in NYC).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6f3ej-S3ymmzSgDf-Uj8iok7AqlcNmEA6zw70Aloslv9JtKUJFr3B-DuOSKkJYLiKK0NAimuiSuHCIlbkF8h9pFh8XXKUvBc47aHTt3kSgcQSgqjovWEUP8xF9x2PxM26TgLByY5VyTo/s1600/grave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6f3ej-S3ymmzSgDf-Uj8iok7AqlcNmEA6zw70Aloslv9JtKUJFr3B-DuOSKkJYLiKK0NAimuiSuHCIlbkF8h9pFh8XXKUvBc47aHTt3kSgcQSgqjovWEUP8xF9x2PxM26TgLByY5VyTo/s1600/grave.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[#SherlockLives!]</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2013/12/watch-sherlock-mini-episode-many-happy-returns/" target="_blank"><b>Many Happy Returns</b></a>, for those of you living under a rock, is a seven minute Sherlock 'mini-episode' released by BBC on Christmas day entitled "<a href="http://youtu.be/JwntNANJCOE" target="_blank">Many Happy Returns</a>" featuring events from after the Series 2 finale "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Reichenbach_Fall" target="_blank">The Reichenbach Fall</a>" leading up to those in "The Empty Hearse." After two years of waiting, Team Moffat delivers up a small slice of Sherlock heaven replete with Season 3 teasers, hilarity and Canonical tidbits galore.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrILU7tZxWlFskO55tZNjlFeZdKVMXrN8TOFuJv4KGxjuULznjFczlHGSnf_1p-lUiVM4JaHEyF7nWymtkgGqHRJG3OJwxzT3nxVYpwfvVlgBUmPaFGXnRO2_3Y0mnBLTP5C76z1eK2zY/s1600/andersonmapplot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrILU7tZxWlFskO55tZNjlFeZdKVMXrN8TOFuJv4KGxjuULznjFczlHGSnf_1p-lUiVM4JaHEyF7nWymtkgGqHRJG3OJwxzT3nxVYpwfvVlgBUmPaFGXnRO2_3Y0mnBLTP5C76z1eK2zY/s1600/andersonmapplot.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Where in the world is Sherlock Holmes?]</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
--<br />
<br />

Weekly Sherlock Links Compendium (December 14 - December 31, 2013)

"It is the season of forgiveness." [BLUE] #FreeSherlock judgment was all over the news, The Grand Game trading card project s...

+ Read more »

by campunity

Sherlock Series 3: Our Commitment to You

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"I am sure that you are the last man in the world who would wish to be a spoilsport" [HOUN] </h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-P6lz0FiB29yk8a2BvF0CA4JyEWjn8EGnj48TVXxFNQ6B4d-iJYWdDMsk23ibul1JIA5IUaYCx7dgtBKcwMevcpefInkb-2-PBlUt2aB9oYMM9ogIj96cszGzyTM3N47kLQA-io-QS0Vl/s1600/Missing+Three+Quarter+-+Paget.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-P6lz0FiB29yk8a2BvF0CA4JyEWjn8EGnj48TVXxFNQ6B4d-iJYWdDMsk23ibul1JIA5IUaYCx7dgtBKcwMevcpefInkb-2-PBlUt2aB9oYMM9ogIj96cszGzyTM3N47kLQA-io-QS0Vl/s400/Missing+Three+Quarter+-+Paget.jpg" width="366" /></a></div>
<br />
With the advent of Series 3 of <i>Sherlock</i> debuting on BBC One tomorrow, January 1, the Internet will be awash with commentary about "The Empty Hearse" and how Sherlock Holmes was able to resurrect himself from the pavement outside St. Bart's.<br />
<br />
We'll certainly be watching with great interest as well, but we'd like to reassure our readers that you won't be seeing any spoilers here. Our commitment to you here on <a href="http://ihearofsherlock.com/">ihearofsherlock.com</a> is to provide an experience that informs you about the goings-on of Sherlock Holmes without ruining the viewing experience.<br />
<br />
We'll also be hosting the live Twitter chat for Masterpiece during the January 19 debut on PBS, via <a href="http://twitter.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">@ihearofsherlock</a>. We expect to point out Canonical references, plot elements and specific facts related to the episode itself. So if you don't plan to view the program live, please avoid our Twitter account until after you've had that opportunity.<br />
<br />
With a two-year hiatus - again, not nearly as long as the hiatus Sir Arthur Conan Doyle put his readers through when Sherlock Holmes met Professor Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls - we share your anticipation and angst. We hope that you'll enjoy the new series and not spoil it for others who wish to do the same.<br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/cm?t=thebakerstree-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B00E3UN59Q&nou=1&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>

Sherlock Series 3: Our Commitment to You

"I am sure that you are the last man in the world who would wish to be a spoilsport" [HOUN] With the advent of Series 3 of S...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Special Episode: Free Sherlock

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"the lawyers have been at it" [REIG] </h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXlVGAZP5CnOlVgeND2ubPk1mLGfv3vrCQrVH2qyDjENcXRvhXphc3gmXFLv_PI7TiKVuqhypEzFBiHA8gW2fLJDCNyPBUgxXmzHSefL_vTL5jV15qfC4q6WMJMlBX5_eim9YkzEgKmMf/s1600/Free+Sherlock+-+Doyle.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXlVGAZP5CnOlVgeND2ubPk1mLGfv3vrCQrVH2qyDjENcXRvhXphc3gmXFLv_PI7TiKVuqhypEzFBiHA8gW2fLJDCNyPBUgxXmzHSefL_vTL5jV15qfC4q6WMJMlBX5_eim9YkzEgKmMf/s400/Free+Sherlock+-+Doyle.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<center>
</center>
<center>
<br />
</center>
<center><br /></center>
As you've no doubt observed, if you've seen anything of the news of the past few days, the "Free Sherlock" case has concluded, <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2013/12/plaintiff-victorious-in-free-sherlock.html#.UsHt48RDuSo" target="_blank">with the plaintiff emerging victoriously</a>. It's been big news, getting coverage in such circles as <i><a href="http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/12/27/sherlock-holmes-is-in-the-public-domain-american-judge-rules/?_r=0" target="_blank">The New York Times</a></i>, <i><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/27/sherlock-holmes-copyright-ruling-public-domain" target="_blank">The Guardian</a></i>, <i><a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/sherlock-holmes-judge-declares-popular-667755" target="_blank">The Hollywood Reporter</a></i>, <i><a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2013/12/27/plot-twist-in-sherlock-holmes-case/" target="_blank">The Wall Street Journal</a></i> and scores of other publications.<br />
<br />
As listeners of our program know, Leslie S. Klinger, BSI ("The Abbey Grange") has been a frequent guest on the show, joining us for a <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2011/03/episode-31-chat-with-les-klinger.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">two-part interview</a> on his <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2011/04/episode-32-untitled-les-klinger-sequel.html#.U-5ZxvldWAU" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">role as consultant</a> to the Robert Downey, Jr. films, and then again <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2012/10/episode-47-re-vampires.html" target="_blank">talking about his Annotated Dracula</a> work. Of course, Les is also the lead plaintiff on the lawsuit in question. You can read some background to this and listen to one of our most popular episodes in the links below.<br />
<br />
We were once again joined by Les, who outlined the background of the case and discussed some of the legal aspects of copyright that have led us to this juncture. We try to keep the discussion as interesting as possible for the lay people out there, and Les even manages to bring in the 1903 coronation of Edward VII as part of the case law history.<br />
<br />
As if landing an interview with the lead plaintiff in the case weren't enough, we also managed to sit down with Betsy Rosenblatt, BSI, ASH ("Lucy Ferrier"), who is not only a second generation ASH and BSI, but also a legal scholar who just happens to specialize in intellectual property law (how fortunate is <i>that</i>?). Betsy touches on some additional points that will undoubtedly be of interest.<br />
<br />
While we weren't able to find an Editor's Gas-Lamp per se, we used a bit of scholarship presented at the annual meeting of the Speckled Band in 1992 by the (now) late Joseph Merriam. We've included it here as a bonus.<div><br />
<div style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font: 14px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px;">
<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/194677142/Impact-of-the-Law-on-the-Sherlock-Holmes-Stories" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Impact of the Law on the Sherlock Holmes Stories on Scribd">Impact of the Law on the Sherlock Holmes Stories</a> by <a href="http://www.scribd.com/ihearofsherlock" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere's profile on Scribd">I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere</a></div>
<iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.619080301990391" data-auto-height="false" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_800" scrolling="no" src="//www.scribd.com/embeds/194677142/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-2lrxek8y98c1fm9redeh&show_recommendations=true" width="100%"></iframe>  <br />
<h4>
Links:</h4>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://free-sherlock.com/" target="_blank">Free Sherlock website</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/194685130/Order-on-Motion-for-Summary-Judgment-on-Free-Sherlock-Case" target="_blank">Read the legal documents here</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2013/02/imagine-that-you-can-bully-me-chas_14.html">Sherlockian Lawyer Takes on Conan Doyle Estate</a></li>
<li>Other episodes mentioned:</li><ul><li><a href="http://ihose.co/ihose32">Episode 31: Les Klinger</a></li><li><a href="http://ihose.co/ihose32">Episode 32: Untitled Les Klinger Sequel</a></li><li><a href="http://ihose.co/ihose47">Episode 47: Re: Vampires</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2013/04/episode-51-who-is-sherlockian.html" target="_blank">Episode 51: Who Is a Sherlockian?</a></li></ul>
</ul>
<br />
<h4 style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 18.2px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/ihearofsherlock/ihearofsherlock_freesherlock.mp3" style="color: #006f85; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Download</a> [Save As] | File size 34.8 MB, 1:15:59</h4>
<br />
<iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/134355181&color=%23ad1215&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true" width="100%"></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
Please <a href="http://bit.ly/ihearofsherlock">subscribe to us on iTunes</a> and be kind enough to leave a rating or review for the show.<br />
<br />
Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email, call us at (774) 221-READ (7323) or use the Speakpipe app right here on the site. Connect with us on <a href="http://facebook.com/ihearofsherlock">Facebook</a>, and <a href="http://twitter.com/ihearofsherlock">Twitter</a>. And of course, our <a href="http://flip.it/oxPOZ">web- and app-based Flipboard magazine</a> is a nice collection of links, articles and images.<br />
<br />
And above all, please let our sponsors know that you heard us rant and rave about their excellence during the programme: <a href="http://www.wessexpress.com/">Wessex Press</a> and <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/"><i>The Baker Street Journal</i></a>.</div><div>  <br />--<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>

Special Episode: Free Sherlock

"the lawyers have been at it" [REIG] As you've no doubt observed, if you've seen anything of the news of the ...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Sherlock Series 3 Is Imminent - This Fan-Created Video Should Hold You

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"our nerves were tense with emotion and anticipation" [HOUN] </h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY3bdzJsVHk0Q80Ig0MInGGm7aQYGI9NFYOIJ4-hdYck2SWdiAHtZyKduYzwNMhkEDbZOLNKDyBMFj8fJ92vsG7cQu11OhbWCQ_83ah58CB1EnEU9VnArO3ffGGwmooh1BroY2LV5cMH0_/s1600/London+Eye+New+Year's.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY3bdzJsVHk0Q80Ig0MInGGm7aQYGI9NFYOIJ4-hdYck2SWdiAHtZyKduYzwNMhkEDbZOLNKDyBMFj8fJ92vsG7cQu11OhbWCQ_83ah58CB1EnEU9VnArO3ffGGwmooh1BroY2LV5cMH0_/s640/London+Eye+New+Year's.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
As you know well by now, BBC One will show "The Empty Hearse" - the first episode of <i>Sherlock</i> Series 3 on January 1 at 9:00 p.m. GMT. If you're fortunate enough to live in the UK, you can watch it on the telly or on <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/tv/bbc_one/20140101" target="_blank">the BBC One iplayer</a>.<br />
<br />
The rest of us will have to wait in anticipation for the January 19 debut on PBS. In the meantime, here's a fan-created teaser video to tide you over.<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/82640274" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br /></center>
<br />
<br />
<i>Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wobble-san/4241239514/in/photolist-7sMpEU-7sMqcL-7sMqzm-7sMs4N-7sMsKd-7sMtVh-7sMuGQ-7sMvk9-7sMvG1-7sMwjA-7vycPb-dzZ8CK-98Kudw-aUCHZX-98KxFj-98KwLd-98GowZ-98Kwjo-98GpFT-98KvzC-98Gp1c-98GoT6-98KuxL-98GqnH-98GmQc-98KuL5-98GnBa-98GmuD-98Gpzk-98GoLp-98KwXW-98Gnhi-98Goct-98Go5M-98GooM-98GmKx-98GpTT-98Gnvc-98Kvku-98Gq7D-98Kx9L-98KxSG-98GnoF-98GpcH-98Gpop-98GpMT-98Gqin-98Goie-98Ku5b-98GmEB-b5YuZF/" target="_blank">wobble-san (Flickr)</a></i><br />
--<br />
<br />

Sherlock Series 3 Is Imminent - This Fan-Created Video Should Hold You

"our nerves were tense with emotion and anticipation" [HOUN] As you know well by now, BBC One will show "The Empty Hear...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Plaintiff Victorious in Free Sherlock Case

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"Ha! Nothing could be better." [STOC]</h4>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyyzvIUgDke3f4ww-seiFl9O7aGNQxxfReGX2Pb_ept28Yq2g8ok7CpIS2wBK8X-3uGxEwtdcPnNyEckHz2PUsBQESie2ZFxb-QmBW_6xyBqVwTnIhZL3RElC-4BqJrLdAWKrNiqbmSIAV/s1600/Les+Klinger+with+Otto+Penzler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyyzvIUgDke3f4ww-seiFl9O7aGNQxxfReGX2Pb_ept28Yq2g8ok7CpIS2wBK8X-3uGxEwtdcPnNyEckHz2PUsBQESie2ZFxb-QmBW_6xyBqVwTnIhZL3RElC-4BqJrLdAWKrNiqbmSIAV/s640/Les+Klinger+with+Otto+Penzler.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plaintiff Les Klinger, with Otto Penzler</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
If you've been following the <a href="http://free-sherlock.com/" target="_blank">Free Sherlock</a> movement, this is welcome news. You may recall that in February (<a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2013/02/imagine-that-you-can-bully-me-chas_14.html#.Ur3Be8RDuSo" target="_blank">"Don't Imagine That You Can Bully Me" [CHAS]</a>) we reported on the lawsuit opened by Leslie S. Klinger, BSI ("The Abbey Grange") against the Conan Doyle Estate, Ltd.<br />
<br />
The basis of the case was that Klinger believed that the characters of Sherlock Holmes should be free to use, so long as authors and artisans were not infringing on the copyrights of the 10 stories remaining under protection in the United States. The Conan Doyle Estate, Ltd. disagreed, levying licensing charges on those who wished to use the characters at all.<br />
<br />
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://ctt.ec/K9fcW"> <i>"Sherlock Holmes belongs to the world."</i> #FreeSherlock - Leslie Klinger</a> <span style="font-weight: normal;">[Tweet this]</span></h4>
<a href="http://ctt.ec/K9fcW"></a>On December 23, the the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois ruled on the plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment against the Conan Doyle Estate. As the <a href="http://free-sherlock.com/2013/12/27/december-2013-ruling/" target="_blank">Free Sherlock site</a> stated this morning,<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The ruling is a victory for the plaintiff Leslie S. Klinger, who sought to establish that the Estate was wrong in claiming that no new stories could be written about Holmes or Watson without the Estate’s permission.</blockquote>
<div style="display: block; margin: 12px auto 6px;">
The judge ruled that the story line and characters are not under copyright, rejecting the defendant's claim that they were. However, the 10 stories are still under copyright, as are any character elements introduced within those 10 stories. More detail from a lay person's perspective can be found on the <a href="http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/12/27/sherlock-holmes-is-in-the-public-domain-american-judge-rules/?src=twrhp&_r=0" target="_blank"><i>New York Times</i> Arts Beats & Eats blog</a>. For you legal junkies, we've embedded the 22-page ruling below.<br />
<br />
We'll have more on this case in the coming days and weeks, so stay tuned.<br />
<br />
<u><b>UPDATE</b></u>: If you'd like to hear what plaintiff Leslie Klinger and intellectual property legal scholar Betsy Rosenblatt had to say on the matter, <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2013/12/special-episode-free-sherlock.html#.Usg0MMRDuSo" target="_blank">we interviewed both of them for a special episode of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere</a>.</div>
<div style="display: block; margin: 12px auto 6px;">
<br />
<iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/134355181&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true" width="100%"></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/194095821/Klinger-Order-on-Motion-for-Summary-Judgment" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;" title="View Klinger Order on Motion for Summary Judgment on Scribd">Klinger Order on Motion for Summary Judgment</a></div>
<iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="undefined" data-auto-height="false" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_43312" scrolling="no" src="//www.scribd.com/embeds/194095821/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&show_recommendations=true" width="100%"></iframe><br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />