French court orders daily that ran photos of Polanski’s family to pay euro3,000 in damages
By Jb-dgs, APFriday, January 15, 2010
French paper must pay Polanski damages for photos
PARIS — A French court has ordered a newspaper that printed photos of film director Roman Polanski’s wife and son to pay €3,000 ($4,300) in damages.
Polanski sued Le Parisien daily for invasion of privacy and had sought €40,000 in damages.
The photos, showing his wife at a window and his son — a minor — playing in the yard, were printed the day after Polanski’s arrival at his chalet in Gstaad, where he is under house arrest in a 32-year-old sex case.
The paper had contended the photos were newsworthy, but the court said Friday the paper’s news report did not justify their publication without the permission of those depicted.
Polanski’s suit targeted four French publications. A decision on the other three is expected Tuesday.
