New launch has one ‘elle’ of a cheek

Magazine giant EMAP is taking on a small Tyne & Wear publishing house which has added a football touch to the glossy mag market, naming its new soccer title for women elleFC.

Magazine giant EMAP is taking on a small Tyne & Wear publishing house which has added a football touch to the glossy mag market, naming its new soccer title for women elleFC. EMAP, which publishes glossy upmarket mag Elle, has cried foul! and wants Moondance Publications’ new creation shown the red card.

Launched in October, the magazine for football crazy femmes has not been given permission to use the Elle trademark, registered by publisher EMAP-Hachette.

The female football fanzine’s publisher Andrew Mullen insists that being a French word, “elle” cannot be a trademark. He explains it is being used in the title as it is a play on the “L” of LFC, which stands for Ladies Football Club.

However, EMAP is moving in for a sliding tackle on Mullen, and will no doubt tell him, and his new publishing venture, to go to ‘ell.

The publishing giant may have to use its own “hand of God” to ensure that elleFC takes an early shower, though it would be a blow to the UK’s women footballers if it is banned from all future matches.