Latest on Vogue threat to sue pub in Cornwall Star Inn at Vogue over name

Legal representatives for the magazine wrote to small village pub The Star Inn at Vogue, near St Day, demanding that they change their name or face legal action.

The international fashion magazine claimed that calling the pub 'The Star Inn at Vogue' could confuse its readers.

The David vs Goliath battle has now enraged the people of the small hamlet of Vogue, who have vowed to fight the demand and retaliate.

Pub owner Mark Graham, 60, said he thought he initially was having a joke played on him by a local when he received the cease and desist letter.

In the note, Vogue claimed the similarity between the pub's name and that of their 'international magazine' might confuse customers into thinking the two cooperate.

Mark, a veteran of the Royal Navy and former Cornish tin miner, says he has no plans to change the pub's name and wrote back with a 'tongue in cheek' letter.

He's since said the pub ought to have been consulted on Vogue's name, given Vogue first published in 1916 – nearly a century after his pub was created.

Mark, who runs the pub with wife Rachel, said: "I was really surprised that I'd received it. In fact when I wrote back I started my letter saying I found their letter interesting on the one hand, and also hilarious.

"We were quite surprised and the general attitude from everyone was just to ask if they had Google – because surely they'd realise we aren't competing in the same league.

"You'd think someone in their office would just search what we are and realise that we're just a country pub, we're hardly courting the same clientele by a long way.

"We've not had the name for long after all – just shy of 200 years. The 'at Vogue' part at the end has been used on and off, but I've been here 17 years and always used it."

Mark and Rachel Graham outside their pub near St Day Picture: James Dadzitis / SWNS

Mark says he thinks Vogue’s concern may have arisen when he and his wife decided to change their trading status from a partnership to a limited company.

In the letter, Vogue wrote: “We are concerned that the name which you are using is going to cause problems because as far as the general public is concerned a connection between your business and ours is likely to be inferred.”

They threateningly add later: "Please reply within seven days or we will take remedial action.”

You can read both the letter and Mark's reply on the pub's Facebook page www.facebook.com/thestarinnvogue

Despite their threats though, Mark says he has no plans to change the name and will "continue on as normal."

Outraged villagers have also taken up arms against Vogue's demands, encouraging Mark to retaliate with cheeky events and newspapers

He added: "The locals have now been coming up with unique ideas to get our own back. They want me to start a parish magazine called 'Vogue magazine'.

"The latest idea is also we want to do a fashion week, 'Vogue fashion week', and get a big letterhead made, and then invite all the major magazines and companies to visit us.

"Everyone is willing to chip in, it's become a really funny local story."

Writing back to the magazine, Mark explained that his business was just a small country pub in "a tiny little hamlet with half a dozen houses and a pub in the sticks."

He wrote: "If a member of your staff had taken the time to investigate they would have discovered that our company, the Star Inn, is in the small village of Vogue, near St Day, Cornwall.

"Yes, that’s right, Vogue is the name of our village, which has been in existence for hundreds of years and in fact is a Cornish word, not English.

“I note in your letter that you have only been in existence since 1916 and I presume that at the time when you chose the name Vogue in the capitalised version you didn’t seek permission from the villagers of the real Vogue.

Mark shows the sign for the hamlet of Vogue, where there has been a pub for 200 years Picture: James Dadzitis / SWNS

"I also presume that Madonna did not seek your permission to use the word Vogue (again the capitalised version) for her 1990s song of the same name."

Vogue Magazine has been contacted for comment.

However, according to Cornwall Live, Condé Nast has since written another letter to Mark and Rachel, acknowledging that it may have been too hasty and saying that the couple were "quite correct to note that further research by our team would have identified that we did not need to send such a letter on this occasion."

A member of the publication group's legal department goes on to add: "Everyone at Condé Nast wishes you and everyone in Vogue best wishes for a happy summer."