Feb 5, 2008, 17:46 GMT
Paris - A Paris court on Tuesday ruled in favour of French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his new wife, singer Carla Bruni, in their lawsuit against low-cost carrier Ryanair over an ad that used a photograph of the couple without their consent, French radio reported.
A French court ordered in Paris, France, 05 February 2008, budget airline Ryanair to pay damages to President Nicolas Sarkozy and his new wife Carla Bruni for using a picture of the couple in an advertisement, but the sum was less than Bruni had sought. EPA/STF
The court granted Sarkozy's demand for 1 euro (1.48 dollars) in damages and interest for infringement on the rights of his image for the purpose of advertising.
However, Bruni was awarded only 60,000 euros instead of the 500,000 euros she had demanded because of her prior work as one of the world's highest-paid models.
The court found that the ad had caused 'property and moral damage' to the couple, and prohibited Ryanair from running it again.
The ad appeared last week in the daily Le Parisien and depicted Sarkozy and Bruni smiling, with a thought balloon superimposed above Bruni's head saying, 'With Ryanair my entire family can come to my wedding.'
In a way, the ad was prophetic, for the 53-year-old French president and Bruni, 40, tied the knot just several days later, on Saturday.
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