Spatwatch

Polanski Tells Paparazzi to Take a Hike

John Hudson Jan 13, 2010
Roman Polanski is suing four French periodicals for snapping photos of him in his Swiss chalet, where he is being held under house arrest until possible extradition to the U.S. (Review the case's twists here and some highlights from the insults fired at Polanski here.) The disgraced filmmaker hopes the lawsuit will put an "urgent stop" to the attention he's been getting from the French press. His lawyers are asking for roughly $217,215 in compensation for photos showing Polanksi through curtains and his children (both minors) who are given heightened protection under French law. Is Polanski in for a pay day? Here are the legal arguments:
  • Polanski's Claim Is Bogus, says Christoph Bigot, lawyer for sued weekly newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche: "Can you seriously claim in this context that if you stand at the window you won't get your picture taken? The press can and should cover this type of case." Putting a punctuation mark on Bigot's argument, Perez Hilton adds, "We don't really see how it's illegal to publish photos of his wife considering the nature of the story and if the faces of his children are blurred it seems that the photogs were respecting the French laws. As for the photos of him in the Swiss chalet, he wouldn't have had this problem if he had stayed jailed like he should have!"

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