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LONDON (Reuters) - The Worldwide Fund for Nature, formerly known as the World Wildlife Fund, on Wednesday began a legal grapple with the World Wrestling Federation over the use of the initials WWF.

The wildlife group is seeking an order from London's High Court to prevent the popular U.S. wrestling promoter, World Wrestling Federation Entertainment Inc, from breaching a written agreement between the parties made in 1994.

The agreement placed a series of restrictions on the Federation's use of the letters WWF for the purposes of its business, which the Fund now claims it has breached.

But the Federation is fighting the claim, arguing that the restrictions are void because they are a restraint on trade and contrary to European law.

It argued before Justice Robin Jacob that adhering to the prohibitions in the agreement would seriously inhibit its ability to carry on its business effectively.

The legal tussle over the initials is expected to last three days

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