In a rather unusual case, a 58-year old sperm donor from Sydney has lost a legal battle against a lesbian couple when his name was scrapped from the newborn’s birth certificate, reports BBC News.

The court decision came as a surprise to most people as it is believed to be the first time in the history of Australia that a sperm donor has not received an official acknowledgement for the part he played in the birth of his child, observed BBC correspondent Phil Mercer.

The father too seemed bemused by the decision and voiced his dissent strongly, suggesting that the laws of the land on parenthood need to be amended for protecting the rights of people like him. He felt dejected that the verdict went against him and said it was a sorry day for men who share parenting.

Judge Stephen Walmsley showed his sympathy for the man but said the law must take its course. “There was no agreement before the birth that he would be on the register when he agreed to donate his sperm”, BBC quoted Mr Walmsley as saying. The extant Australian laws do not reserve any parental right for sperm donors.

It is interesting to note that the lesbian couple separated in 2006, five years after a girl child was born of the man who donated his sperm. The couple had earlier given a print advertisement, looking for a biological father of their planned child.

Sperm donation is a common practice around the world, particularly in situations where the male partners suffer from sexual problems such as low sperm count, or are unable to impregnate because of other reasons.