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Game of Thrones street name irks Australian suburb

August 24, 2017

An Australian developer is facing local complaints over a Game of Thrones-inspired street name in a new residential development. The problem isn't copyright infringement - but ties to incest from the popular TV show.

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister and Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister in season six of Game of Thrones
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister and Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister in season six of Game of Thrones Image: Helen Sloan/HBO

When developer Gary Smith named a street in the southern Australian city of Geelong "Lannaster Road," he intentionally changed the "I" to an "a" to keep its connection to Game of Thrones characters Cersei and Jaime Lannister at a minimum.

Nevertheless, he's been forced to change the name, local media have reported.

According to the Geelong Advertiser, a local news publication, the Office of Geographic Names required Smith to change the name, based on the stipulation that street names may not cause offense to the general public. Complaints had come in from a neighboring estate.

Read more: Latest 'Game of Thrones' promises lots of surprises - and violence

"They objected to the fact that it had a reference to incest … it's a fictional series," Smith told the Geelong Advertiser. In Game of Thrones, Cersei and Jaime Lannister are siblings, but are also romantically involved.

A number of other street names in the development were inspired by Game of Thrones characters and locations - including Stannis Street, Greyjoy Street, Baelish Drive, Tywin Street and Winterfell Road - but Smith reportedly said there have been no complaints about them.

kbm/eg (with dpa)

 

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