(CNN) -- Step lively Watson, there's a mystery afoot at the Supreme Court -- and the estate of Sherlock Holmes' creator says only the nine justices can ultimately solve the Case of the Contested Copyright. The estate of the late British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has asked the high court to block a California writer from moving ahead with plans to publish a new series of stories featuring the celebrated fictional detective and his friend Dr. Watson. A federal appeals court in Chicago last month ruled in favor of California-based editor and lawyer Leslie Klinger, saying he did not have to pay royalty fees to the Conan Doyle estate, over his plans to publish a new volume of Holmes stories penned by contemporary authors.
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Sherlock Holmes was fictional, but he lives on in novels and short stories
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The estate of the late Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is fighting a copyright case
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A California writer wants to publish a new series of Holmes stories
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The Conan Doyle estate wants the U.S. Supreme Court to solve the case
@placeholder created one of the most famous and enduring characters in fiction, with four novels and 56 short stories published from 1887 to 1927.