Child Denied Passport — Because He Has the Same Name as a Movie Character (But There’s a Hollywood Ending)

Naming your child after someone famous you don’t personally know (and know well) is a potentially dangerous decision. You never know what alleged salacious or unsavory details might come out about that seemingly wholesome favorite celebrity. (“My parents named me after Bill Cosby…”)

But fictional characters should be a safe bet, right?

Apparently not. Just as the parents of Loki Skywalker Mowbray. (Fun fact: the little boy was born on May 4 — Star Wars Day.)

According to Suffolk News, his parents (one of whom is an active-duty soldier, the other a retired soldier who has dealt with post-traumatic stress disorder) wanted to get their son a passport for an upcoming family trip to the Dominican Republic.

But England’s Home Office (“the lead government department for immigration and passports, drugs policy, crime, fire, counter-terrorism and police”) apparently denied the seven-year-old’s application.

Why?

“In an email to the family detailing the refusal, the Home Office said Loki’s name contained a name ‘which relates to a trademark or copyright,’ and it, therefore, would not issue a passport,” writes Ross Waldron.

“Skywalker” is a copyrighted name owned by the Walt Disney Corporation.

The family had two options: try getting permission from Disney or change their child’s name.

The Home Office has since turned from the Dark Side. It apologized and decided to issue the child a passport.

This makes me wonder if Major League Baseball player and Star Wars fanatic Carlos Correa can secure a passport for his son, Kylo (named after Kylo Ren).

What do you make of all this? Legal professionals out there: is this a thing in the United States? Do you think the Home Office was getting power-hungry?