What’s the biggest bun-fight in the media industry today? Today Tonight versus A Current Affair? The Age versus the Herald Sun? No – it’s the battle between the lads’ magazines FHM and Ralph for the right to use the words “Girl Next Door”.

Read this report from today’s SMH Spike column, and take a look at this press release issued by FHM’s publisher Emap yesterday:

ACP Publishing Pty Limited (“ACP”), has agreed to remove from sale the “Girl Next Door” supplement and promotional packaging from the May 2005 issue of Ralph magazine which hit newsstands on 4 April 2005. ACP agreed to the removal in an out-of-court settlement following a complaint from Emap Australia Pty Limited (“Emap Australia”).

Emap Australia’s FHM publishing director, Geoff Campbell, said “The May 2005 issue of FHM includes a DVD and a 28-page photo feature of the seven finalists of the FHM Girl Next Door 2005 competition. This year’s competition, which is sponsored by Gillette Dufour, has been running since the October 2004 issue. The winner will appear on the cover of FHM .”

We invest a great deal of time, effort, energy and money in developing innovative and exciting magazine promotions: they add enormous value for our readers and advertisers. While we embrace healthy competition, we will defend our investment vigorously to protect our rights and to ensure that our readers and advertisers continue to benefit from our innovative approach to magazine publishing.