The son of Doctor Who writer Anthony Coburn is suing the BBC over the copyright to the TARDIS.
Stefan Coburn, son of Anthony Coburn who played a key role in the formation of the show and wrote An Unearthly Child, claims that the BBC is in breach of copyright since his father’s death in 1977 and demanded that the Corporation either stop using the TARDIS device, which is clearly not going to happen, or pay Coburn’s family royalties for each usage, which would obviously be substantial. Coburn said:
“It is by no means my wish to deprive legions of Doctor Who fans (of whom I was never one) of any aspect of their favourite children’s programme. The only ends I wish to accomplish, by whatever lawful means present themselves, involve bringing about the public recognition that should by rights always have been his due, of my father James Anthony Coburn’s seminal contribution to Doctor Who, and proper lawful recompense to his surviving estate.”
The BBC has yet to pass any extensive comment on the claim yet says it is looking into the complaint and there have been no challenges to the copyright since it was registered it in the 1980s.
There have also been claims that Stef Coburn is responsible for An Unearthly Child not being broadcast by the BBC at the 50th anniversary.
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