popular thinking

SLY VS. SLY: Rocky Balboa started out as the ultimate underdog.
But the man who made a box-office champ out of "Rocky'' has slyly delivered a first-round KO to an upstart magazine that shares the same name as Sylvester Stallone's new mag.
It's Sly vs. Sly.
Only this fight might be waged in the courtroom, not the ring.
The debut issue of Stallone's Sly magazine, conceived as a fitness and lifestyle guide for men who "believe that life begins at 40,'' rolled out last week with an initial nationwide circulation of 125,000. Stallone is backed by American Media Inc., the conglomerate that publishes National Enquirer, Star, Weekly World News and Mira! as well as titles under the Weider Publications brands, which include Men's Fitness, Muscle & Fitness and Shape.
And the other Sly magazine? Not so big.
Sly Magazine LLC is an independent publisher that planned to unveil its first issue later this year. But this Sly, which targets female readers and lovers of shoes, handbags and other accessories, has held the online address of slymagazine.com since November, when it held a launch party in New York.

Continue reading my story here: Title bout pits Sylvester Stallone against other mag (Boston Herald)

UPDATE: The story that appears online (at least early this morning) didn't include the quotes from Slymagazine.com's lawyer, John Bostany. I'll post those soon.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Here is the section from New York attorney John Bostany, who told me Monday that he wanted to clarify the earlier statement from his clients at the smaller slymagazine.com...

John Bostany said he has informed American Media multiple times in the past year about the trademark infringement.
"We've sent them a formal cease-and-desist letter," Bostany said Monday.
His clients (slymagazine.com) have been "trying to give (American Media) every opportunity" to settle their differences, but they likely will have to sue instead.
"It will wind up with them paying a lot in damages," Bostany told me.