After losing her libel case against Coleen Rooney, Rebekah Vardy registered the phrase “Wagatha Christie” as a trademark. Last year, Vardy unsuccessfully sued Rooney in the High Court for allegedly having deduced that she had leaked stories about her to the press.
The case was dubbed Wagatha Christie, a reference to both footballers’ spouses and girlfriends (Wags) and the mystery writer Agatha Christie.
Vardy did not invent the pun, as comedian Dan Atkinson alleged.
She applied to register the phrase as a trademark in the United Kingdom in August through London Entertainment Inc Ltd, and it was added to the list of registered trademarks last Friday.
It includes broadcasting, cosmetic products, beverages, as well as stationary, jewelry, and fashion design.
The measure could help offset some of Vardy’s legal fees from the trial. In October, it was reported that she had been ordered to pay 90 percent of Rooney’s legal fees, which were estimated to total £1.5 million.
The case arose after Rooney conducted an undercover operation to determine the source of disclosures about her and her family, before accusing Vardy in a dramatic manner on social media.
In July, a judge ruled that Rooney’s accusation was “substantially true” despite Vardy’s denial and legal action.
Since the case was resolved in July 2022, it has been the subject of a BBC documentary, a Channel 4 drama, and a West End play.
The creators of Vardy vs. Rooney are: Wednesday, the Wagatha Christie Trial stated that the play would “continue as planned” this summer.
“Humorous marketing”
Anyone intending to use the phrase “Wagatha Christie” commercially in this country must obtain Vardy’s permission and pay her a fee.
Elizabeth Ward, an intellectual property attorney, told BBC News that Vardy did not need to have coined the phrase in order to trademark it.
She felt Rooney was more “savvy” and “shrewd” during the trial to associate herself with a high street clothing label, as opposed to the designer labels worn by Vardy; and said the trademarking move could be an opportunity for the latter to “make some money” back by appearing to see the funny side on a variety of more everyday items – such as dolls’ clothing, pet drinking bowls, mugs, and cheese graters.
Ms. Ward speculated,
“I wonder if Rebekah Vardy is now considering a humorous branding association with Wagatha Christie.” “According to the classification, she’s aiming for domestic household items such as a make-up brand, make-up brushes, and everything else.”
Welspun UK Limited, which controls the towel and bedding brand Christy, reportedly opposed the application to trademark the phrase for use on certain clothing and household items.
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