Even when British mag wins, it loses
These legal wranglings always confuse us: Britain’s top court ruled Wednesday that OK! magazine is entitled to damages from rival Hello!, after Hello! published photos it took of Michael Douglas’ and Catherine Zeta-Jones’ wedding, the AP says.
It seems OK! paid the couple $2-million for exclusive rights to shoot the 2000 union, but sneaky Hello! photogs caught pics anyway and published them. A 2003 ruling said OK! deserved $4-million for that, but a 2005 appeal sent the cash back to Hello!
Now a panel of judges in the House of Lords agreed 3-2 to the original ruling, but said OK!’s business was not hurt by the practice, so both mags have to absorb millions in legal fees. Somehow that math just doesn’t add up. [Photo: Getty Images]
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