Why Great Ace Attorney Couldn't Be Localised Sooner
Channel: Video Game Story Time
Date: 2021-04-23

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles are finally coming to the West, which means that fans of Phoenix Wright games have two entirely new games to look forward to. In The Great Ace Attorney, one of Phoenix Wright's ancestors, Ryunosuke Naruhodo, travels to Victorian London to team up with acclaimed super sleuth...Herlock Sholmes?


Wait, no, that can't be right.


While in the Japanese edition of Great Ace Attorney (Dai Gyakuten Saiban) features a team-up with Sherlock Holmes, the Western releases features a completely different character. A completely. Different. Legally. Distinct. Character.


Why? Because Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Estate is nothing if not litigious, and they have a very liberal interpretation of what constitutes their copyrighted material.


Lots of love,
BretonStripes (http://twitter.com/bretonstriped) and Kotor (http://twitter.com/kotorcomics)


Sources:


https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ace-attorneys-creators-talk-the-new-title-and-loca/1100-6440971/
https://copyrightlately.com/enola-holmes-copyright-infringement-case/
https://copyrightlately.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/conan-doyle-estate-v-legendary-pictures-complaint.pdf
https://www.arthurconandoyle.com/copyrights.html
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/conan-doyle-estate-loses-appeal-712135
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-28363492
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-28655841
https://www.crunchyroll.com/en-gb/anime-news/2012/01/02-1/original-lupin-character-enters-public-domain-in-2012