LONDON (AP) — The estate of P.G. Wodehouse has a question for the Ask Jeeves search engine: Did you forget to ask?
The comic writer's estate thinks the California-based Internet site should have sought permission to use the name of Bertie Wooster's valet, who styled himself a "gentleman's personal gentleman."
The A.P. Watt literary agency in London has represented Wodehouse's interests since he died in 1975, and his works remain protected by copyright until 2045.
"Ask Jeeves Inc. and the estate of P.G. Wodehouse are engaged in amicable discussions, which we are confident will result in a mutually favorable outcome," the agency said Friday. "Further details surrounding the discussions are confidential."
Ask Jeeves, created by David Warthen and Garrett Gruener, went online in 1997. The site, which reportedly gets about 5 million users per month, is designed to handle questions in ordinary language rather than using a special search terms. The company is based in Emeryville, Calif.