William and Kate win topless photo injunction
PLUS: Criminal investigation begins into French magazine, owned by former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have won two victories in their aggressive legal battle against French magazine Closer and its publisher.
A French court has granted Prince William and Kate Middleton an injuctin against Closer publishing further topless photos of the Duchess.
Under the terms of the injunction, Closer's publisher, Mondadori France, will be fined €10,000 ($NZ16,100) a day if it publishes any more photographs or provides them to a third-party - arguably a modest sum given the attention and sales garnered by Closer so far.
Closer was also ordered to hand over all copies of the photos, including all digital photos within 24 hours (although with countless copies on the internet, the order is purely symbolic).
If it sells them in markets where they have yet to be published, it faces a €100,000 fine.
Mondarori, owned by former Italian Prime Minister and media magnate Silvio Berlusconi.
Separately, a criminal investigation has been opened into Closer's actions. If it is found guilty, its publisher could be fined €45,000 and the editor jailed for up to a year.
The Duke and Duchess are on a nine-day tour of the Far Wast and South Pacific, including the Solomon Islands (pictured).
NBR staff
Wed, 19 Sep 2012
Wed, 19 Sep 2012
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William and Kate win topless photo injunction
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