I saw this on ABCnews.com. It may have already been flamed up in here, and if so, I apologize. I know a few rabid WWF fans who are going insane over this. I am not into wrestling, but I think the WWF deserves whatever they get. World Wildlife Foundation has been around WAY longer than the WWF as far as I know. You would have to be an idiot to start using another corp. name as your own. Even if you come to an agreement with them it still has the potential to slap the shit out of you years later. As it did here.
Why does the World Wrestling Federation deserve anything they get? I myself haven’t been able to stand pro wrestling since I was 12 but I hold nothing against the WWF, WCW, and I miss GLOW. How is an English court going to stop the wrestling company from using WWF.com in the United States?
The World Wrestling Federation had been in the states for nearly two decades now. Did the World Wildlife folks complain about them then? What was the agreement that the two WWFs reached in 1994?
Marc
From the WWF web site (images but not text copyrighted on the pages):
Their short answer - "WWF, the conservation organisation, first began using the initials “WWF” in 1961 when it was founded. Quite a few years later, the World Wrestling Federation was formed and began using the initials “WWF” itself.
WWF holds the global rights to the “WWF” name, and the World Wrestling Federation is in breach of these rights under an agreement drawn up between both parties in 1994."
Their long answer - "As a global conservation organization which relies heavily on the recognition and the influence of its name and brand, WWF is concerned about the use of the initials “WWF” by the World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. They have been using our name in the public domain, in print, in various broadcast media and the Internet.
WWF has commenced a legal action against the World Wrestling Federation Entertainment in order to protect our identity and our rights in the initials “WWF”. This follows a series of unsuccessful attempts by WWF to stop the illegitimate use of our trademark and name by the World Wrestling Federation.
WWF started the legal action in April 2000 in the High Court of Justice in London, after the World Wrestling Federation Entertainment repeatedly breached an agreement in which it agreed to limit its use of the initials “WWF”. The parties entered into this agreement in January 1994 to settle a series of disputes created by the World Wrestling Federation Entertainment’s expansion into geographical areas and markets likely to create confusion with WWF’s identity, which WWF has used virtually since its inception in 1961.
Since signing the 1994 agreement, however, the World Wrestling Federation Entertainment has breached it literally thousands of times. Unfortunately, WWF’s repeated requests to convince them to abide by the agreement it freely negotiated and signed have all failed, and WWF was forced to take legal action. A hearing on this case started in July 2001.
WWF brought this action for the same reason we entered into the 1994 agreement: our identity through the “WWF” initials is crucial to our ability to achieve our mission. For example, WWF’s campaigns to educate the world as to the need to slow the degradation of the earth’s natural environment relies on the public’s recognition and trust of a respected, global conservation organization. The World Wrestling Federation Entertainment’s breaches of the 1994 agreement dilute the WWF identity and the messages associated with it."
Why London ? – Not privy to their legal tactical thinking. Maybe the World HQ is here, maybe the original 1994 contract was drawn up in this jurisdiction, maybe they thought the current atmosphere in the US wasn’t as conducive for a conservation org taking on a multi-million £ Industry. Just don’t know.
The ‘English’ Court - The WWF went to Court to enforce the terms of a contract as between two International organisations The Court required the Wrestling Federation to comply - in other words, the WWF gave 'em enough rope to hang themselves in the 1994 contrtact. Which they’ve just done.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I coulda sworn that back in the olden days (1970s and before) that it was originally the WWWF "World Wide Wrestling Federation. The WWWF definitely predated 1961 (though not by much), but it was sometime later that they shortened it to the (already used) WWF.
You’re right, Mjollnir. It changed in the late 1970s/very early 1980s
Well, then, I think major league baseball should sue the proponents of the Equal Rights Amendment for pre-empting “ERA”, which everybody knows stood for “Earned Run Average” way before women’s lib.
Well I understand the confusion. Years ago, before I had ever heard of professional wrestling, I took a spectacular fall in front of a group of people, tumbling head over heels down a hill. I wasn’t injured (much), but one of the guys who helped me up told me that I should join the WWF. All the way home, I wondered why clumsiness would entitle me to membership in the World Wildlife Federation. It was only much later that I finally realized what he actually meant.
World Wrestling Federation. World Wildlife Foundation.
Not the same name.
It’s actually the World Wildlife Fund, so they only have one word in common- “World.”
From the original link
Geez! Vince. I told you not to defend yourself.
Poor business planning.
Incidentally, they might have chosen England as the jurisdiction for the cause of action because many international agreements have a jurisdiction clause which states that in the event of a dispute, the parties agree to the dispute being resolved in the courts of England. English courts are often chosen for these agreements as a sort of neutral place with a fair, and excellent, legal system.
I vote that they wrestle for the name.
The Rock versus a Giant Panda.
Hey, I’d pay to see that.
Well, you ain’t alone, jr8.