Terms of Use
The terms, in plain English.
Last updated 17 May 2026.
What this is
The 221B Daily is a website that publishes a new Sherlock Holmes–style mystery every morning. It is independent fan work, built on the public-domain stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. By reading the paper, submitting a verdict, or subscribing, you accept these terms. If you do not agree with them, please do not use the site.
Using the site
The daily edition is free to read and play, for your own enjoyment. You may link to cases and share them. Please do not attempt to break, overload, or attack the site; do not scrape the cases in bulk; and do not republish or resell the case text, illustrations, or audio as your own. We may limit or withdraw access if the site is being abused.
Your account
You can read the daily case without an account. Signing in with Google is optional and only used to remember your verdicts and your back-issue allowance. You are responsible for activity under your account. You can ask us to delete your account and its data at any time — see the privacy page.
The Strand subscription
The optional paid tier, The Strand, is sold and billed through Patreon. Patreon handles all payment, renewal, cancellation, and refunds under Patreon’s own terms — we never see or store your card details. You can cancel any time from your Patreon account; subscriber access continues until the end of the period you have paid for. Founding-rate offers, where shown, apply on the terms stated alongside them at the time you subscribe.
Content and ownership
The cases, prose, illustrations, and audio published here are original works produced for The 221B Daily. The characters and world they draw on come from the public-domain Conan Doyle canon. This site is not affiliated with the Conan Doyle Estate, Frogwares Ireland Ltd, MX Publishing, the BBC, or any other Holmes publisher or society. It is an independent tribute.
No guarantees
The site is provided “as is”. We aim to publish a new case every morning and to keep the site available, but we cannot guarantee it will always be uninterrupted or error-free. The mysteries are puzzles for entertainment — nothing here is professional advice.
Liability
To the fullest extent allowed by law, The 221B Daily is not liable for any indirect or incidental loss arising from your use of the site. If a subscription payment goes wrong, the practical remedy is handled through Patreon.
Changes to these terms
We may update these terms as the publication grows. When we do, the “last updated” date above changes. Continuing to use the site after a change means you accept the updated terms.
Governing law
The 221B Daily is run from South Africa, and these terms are governed by South African law.
How to reach us
Questions about these terms? Email hello@the221bdaily.com. We aim to respond within 7 days.