Aping our betters

Let's ofer three cheers, and an oversized toy panda, to the London judge who decided that the initials WWF rightly belonged to the Worldwide Fund for Nature and not to the World Wrestling Federation. This victory for the pandas over the pugilists, the furry few over the mean-tempered many, constitutes a laudable blow for civilised values in the best tradition of the English courts.

Never mind that the victory was technically won on a point of law, specifically that the wrestlers had broken a court-ordered undertaking not to use the initials WWF in their logo outside the US. Nor that the legal arguments presented by the wrestlers' lawyers were described as "hopeless". The fact is that something real, peaceful and international – conserving endangered species – has been preferred to something showy, violent and American.

The wrestlers say that they will appeal. But the courts are not the most appropriate forum to settle this dispute. The return match should be in the ring. Let Stone Cold Steve Austin and Hollywood Hulk Hogan take on a creature their own shape, size and disposition. Bring on the mountain gorilla, and let the fight commence.