generate questions: The image of the TARDIS has become firmly linked to the show in the public's consciousness; BBC scriptwriter Anthony Coburn, who lived in the resort of Herne Bay, Kent, was one of the people who conceived the idea of a police box as a time machine. In 1996, the BBC applied for a trade mark to use the TARDIS' blue police box design in merchandising associated with Doctor Who. In 1998, the Metropolitan Police Authority filed an objection to the trade mark claim; but in 2002, the Patent Office ruled in favour of the BBC.
What image has become linked to Doctor Who? {sep_token} What does the TARDIS look like? {sep_token} What is the function of the TARDIS? {sep_token} Who filed an objection to the BBC using the blue police box in Doctor Who merchandise? {sep_token} When did the BBC receive a favorable ruling on the trade mark claim? {sep_token}