Harry & Meghan: Legal Actions against the Media - Page 107

Mirabel · #**2121** 03-19-2021, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moonmaiden23

This makes me happy. The Fail has been out of control for YEARS.

Nothing will change though.

Many celebrities have sued tabloids in the past, but the general feeling is that it's not worth the trouble. Even when you win, you lose because it is so stressful and doesn't stop them.

JR76 · #**2122** 03-19-2021, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mirabel

Nothing will change though.

Many celebrities have sued tabloids in the past, but the general feeling is that it's not worth the trouble. Even when you win, you lose because it is so stressful and doesn't stop them.

Princess Caroline of Hannover took German tabloids and Germany to the European Court of Human Rights for breach of the privacy of her and her family several times. While the outcome has varied the positive results include the protection of children of public figures against having their picture featured in media without permission (hence the often blurred faces of children in European tabloids) and a distinction between what might interest the public and what's actually in public interest.
The Swedish Royal family used the rulings to sue German media outlets for the extensive false coverage about especially Princess Madeleine and won both a financial compensation and a public retraction of the fabrications reported.

Curryong · #**2123** 03-19-2021, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mirabel

Nothing will change though.

Many celebrities have sued tabloids in the past, but the general feeling is that it's not worth the trouble. Even when you win, you lose because it is so stressful and doesn't stop them.

So the solution is just to lay back and let vicious tabloids say what they like about you? That’s not what I would be doing. If I was a celebrity or a royal and the media kept printing lies about me I’d be fighting back and demanding an apology.

I realise the British tabloids are a different beast to many European publications which are also dreadful in their own way, but if European and Scandinavian and US publications are able to be sued for lies and made-up tales then so should London tabloids. Lying supine and letting them trample you is letting bullies win.

I applaud Meghan for taking the Fail on Sunday on and winning her case. Terrific! If more people did this and won their cases and damages then the newspaper groups might reconsider their policies, finally. And there might at last be much less clickbait for the public to feast on.

Osipi · #**2124** 03-19-2021, 08:09 PM

I also very much applaud Meghan for taking on the beast and winning.

I think, too, that a lot of what makes a difference is not actually the royal/celebrity taking on the "beast" but having a reliable team of lawyers that will take on or advise against a claim because the law says they have a legal complaint and a good chance of standing up in court. I'm sure too that there are a lot of lawyers out there that are sycophants and will take on whatever a celebrity/royal wants to take on purely for the fame and green dollars. That's why I've said "reliable".

Curryong · #**2125** 03-19-2021, 08:30 PM

Yes, osipi, a top ranked and reliable legal team is essential in these cases as it’s an extremely expensive procedure. Meghan changed her lead counsel in September 2020, and suffered several losses along the way, but persisted and won. If only more people in the public eye would do the same!

poppy7 · #**2126** 03-20-2021, 02:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JR76

Princess Caroline of Hannover took German tabloids and Germany to the European Court of Human Rights for breach of the privacy of her and her family several times. While the outcome has varied the positive results include the protection of children of public figures against having their picture featured in media without permission (hence the often blurred faces of children in European tabloids) and a distinction between what might interest the public and what's actually in public interest.
The Swedish Royal family used the rulings to sue German media outlets for the extensive false coverage about especially Princess Madeleine and won both a financial compensation and a public retraction of the fabrications reported.

All Caroline's cases we're over pictures taken on private land which should not have been published. The German media can be pretty rouge with this and they all included pictures of her children when young. So it was an issue over pictures of minors,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Curryong

Yes, osipi, a top ranked and reliable legal team is essential in these cases as it’s an extremely expensive procedure. Meghan changed her lead counsel in September 2020, and suffered several losses along the way, but persisted and won. If only more people in the public eye would do the same!

Leveson Enquiry. Don't people pay attention to the actual rules governing the press. Problem is anyone can say what they like and so can the press. That they breached copywrite is an actual legal issue. And most people would sue for that but in general it would be settled. Happens a lot legwl cases but thry are largrly all settled.

MARG · #**2127** 03-20-2021, 07:07 AM

No it's publish now and defend themselves in court. Until the Judges start levying crippling fines to go along with printing the apology on the front page and the same size fonts used in the original article, is a start.

**soapstar** · #**2128** 03-20-2021, 05:39 PM

The thread is about Harry and Meghan and not other royals or celebs, so please stick to the topic.

amaryllus · #**2129** 03-22-2021, 10:37 PM

Her horse is high indeed! I am very glad the judge denied her ridiculous and entitled demands as not “red hot news” and she must be fit to be tied at that!

https://www.yahoo.com/news/judge-rul...114507865.html

Eskimo · #**2130** 03-22-2021, 10:43 PM

So it seems there might be some sort of appeal after all...

Curryong · #**2131** 03-22-2021, 10:46 PM

Meghan still won that privacy judgement, Justice Warby still awarded her costs, and he still agreed that an apology be sited on that vile tabloid’s front page and on Page 3. In addition Justice Warby formally warned the newspaper group that there was no prospect of them winning any appeal on that judgement and did not grant them leave to appeal. And the ‘stay’ to go to the appeals court only lasts until April 5th. So any attempt to show that this judgement wasn’t a win win for Meghan fails really.

amaryllus · #**2132** 03-22-2021, 10:53 PM

Still it shows she can’t have everything the way she wants and expects all the time. Even if she plays the victim game.The old “What Meghan wants Meghan gets” line is clearly not true.

Curryong · #**2133** 03-22-2021, 10:56 PM

Well, she has got the vast majority of what she wanted from that disgusting tabloid, including enormous costs, so I’m sure she’s certainly not crying into her soup about that win. And she didn’t say she was a victim. What she objected to was a newspaper publishing her private letter. And the judge agreed her privacy was invaded.

amaryllus · #**2134** 03-26-2021, 11:46 AM

Truth is tabloids are not suddenly going to be go away or be contrite or change what makes them huge amounts of money. H&M may win a few very expensive victories but they can’t win and they simply don’t have the money to Sue every publication

camelot23ca · #**2135** 03-26-2021, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amaryllus

Truth is tabloids are not suddenly going to be go away or be contrite or change what makes them huge amounts of money. H&M may win a few very expensive victories but they can’t win and they simply don’t have the money to Sue every publication

I would argue that The Mail on Sunday, in particular, is having an extraordinary run of good luck. They made the decision to publish the letter and made money on that, then Meghan decided to sue them so they got to rehash all the old issues about the letter, plus they got all the new stories about the lawsuit itself. They dragged it out as long as they possibly could and, when the judgement went against them, they were probably shrugging their shoulders and strategizing about how to make as much money as possible on the publication of their apology because that would finally be the end of things, when Harry and Meghan went on Oprah and all hell broke loose. Now they get to print their apology with its big font beside a bunch of other, more interesting stories on The Sussexes. Anyone who comes out of curiosity about the apology will likely stick around to peruse the other stories and a fair number of them will keep coming back. Honestly, the publisher must feel like they’ve won the lottery.

Meghan’s goal with the lawsuit was to win the lawsuit. The Mail’s goal was to milk the lawsuit for as much money as possible. They would have known the judge might rule against them in the end and no doubt factored possible costs and damages into the equation at each decision point along the way.

So I would say Meghan won a battle, but she’s helping the DM, MoS and British tabloids in general to keep winning the war.

_Heather_ · #**2136** 03-26-2021, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by camelot23ca

I would argue that The Mail on Sunday, in particular, is having an extraordinary run of good luck. They made the decision to publish the letter and made money on that, then Meghan decided to sue them so they got to rehash all the old issues about the letter, plus they got all the new stories about the lawsuit itself. They dragged it out as long as they possibly could and, when the judgement went against them, they were probably shrugging their shoulders and strategizing about how to make as much money as possible on the publication of their apology because that would finally be the end of things, when Harry and Meghan went on Oprah and all hell broke loose. Now they get to print their apology with its big font beside a bunch of other, more interesting stories on The Sussexes. Anyone who comes out of curiosity about the apology will likely stick around to peruse the other stories and a fair number of them will keep coming back. Honestly, the publisher must feel like they’ve won the lottery.

Meghan’s goal with the lawsuit was to win the lawsuit. The Mail’s goal was to milk the lawsuit for as much money as possible. They would have known the judge might rule against them in the end and no doubt factored possible costs and damages into the equation at each decision point along the way.

So I would say Meghan won a battle, but she’s helping the DM, MoS and British tabloids in general to keep winning the war.

Very well said. Excellent explanation. And honestly, I feel like that's exactly what these two just can't seem to understand. Sure, they might win a battle or feel like they're standing on the moral high ground for a bit but the truth is, they're just continually fueling the fire. While they might be trying to "own" the tabloids, all they're really doing is being used by them for the publicity and the draw and they just keep handing them more and more material to work with.

Denville · #**2137** 03-26-2021, 12:57 PM

when teh Mail broke the law it was fair enough to fight them.. but then they DID hand them a load of stories from the interview.. nad the Mail dont really care...
its best to try and avoid lawsuits unless there is a clear case of the tabloids breaking the law, then sue, win and leave it. Dont give them any furhter excuse to write about you....by doing a big tell all interview...

camelot23ca · #**2138** 03-26-2021, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Denville

when teh Mail broke the law it was fair enough to fight them.....

It was Meghan’s right to sue, and I get the temptation to do so. The British tabloids are intrusive and push boundaries in a way that would make anyone furious.

But, taking Meghan’s stated reasons for suing at face value, she’s fighting a personal war of morality against an amoral business entity. The people at the MoS are employed to produce content people want to read in the most profitable way possible. Morals don’t come into it. The only thing that would make them change their behaviour is a serious financial hit, and damages from a lawsuit aren’t going to cut it. The only thing Meghan and Harry can do is minimize the amount of money the two of them make for the tabloids.

Hallo girl · #**2139** 03-26-2021, 04:50 PM

It was probably the insurance company that paid out,

poppy7 · #**2140** 03-27-2021, 02:02 AM

I agree with all of this.

If they break the law, sue and be done with it...as many other royals have done.

But H and M really don't seem to understand that the best way to descalate anything this is to let the ball fall. Do not hit it back with twice the verocity.

Do you know I have even started seeing these royal reporters from various publications more and more recently and they are absolutely lovely. And very even handed about H and M. I just don't get it at all. I mean the Daily Evil is another entity in itself. And a lot of issues came from other journalists writing and opinion pieces and really two that everyone keeps talking about: avocado gate and bump gate.