OK! WINS $20 MILLION FROM TABLOID IN ZETA-JONES WEDDING PHOTOS CASE

After more than six years of court battles, the House of Lords in Great Britain today ruled in favor of OK! Magazine, who had charged that a British tabloid had illegally acquired pictures of the wedding. The case began in November 2000 when Catherine and Michael entrusted OK! with the exclusive rights to photograph their wedding. When blurred spoiler photographs were about to be printed in another magazine, OK! obtained an injunction to prevent their publication, a decision that was ultimately overturned. Both OK! and the Douglases were initially awarded damages, including a payment of approximately $2 million to the magazine, only to have that ruling partially modified on appeal. Accordingly, OK! was obliged to take the case to the House of Lords for a final appeal.Today's judgment entirely vindicates OK!'s position that the tabloid acted illegally, that they wrongly trespassed at a private event and lied in court. The judgment upholds the right of celebrities and magazines to make and enforce exclusive contracts and is an endorsement of OK!'s celebrity-friendly stance - its policy of offering its readers great pictures by working with celebrities and gaining their trust rather than obtaining images by deceitful and underhand means. OK! has always been a friend of celebrities, explains OK! proprietor Richard Desmond, who also owns the Daily Express and Daily Star Newspapers. We knew that right was on our side and with all such cases we will make any investment in money, time, and commitment to see that justice is done.