Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Mail on Sunday must print front-page statement admitting Meghan won copyright battle

Statement will also appear on MailOnline for one week

Joanna Taylor
Friday 05 March 2021 19:00 GMT
Comments
The court ruled on Friday that Associated Newspapers Limited misused the Duchess of Sussex’s private information and infringed her copyright
The court ruled on Friday that Associated Newspapers Limited misused the Duchess of Sussex’s private information and infringed her copyright (PA)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

The Mail on Sunday must print a front-page statement acknowledging that Meghan Markle won a copyright battle against the paper over a “personal and private letter” she wrote to her estranged father, the High Court has ruled. 

Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), which publishes The Mail on Sunday and MailOnline, has also been ordered to admit that it “infringed her copyright” in printing the handwritten letter to Thomas Markle on page three. 

The front-page statement will read: “The court has given judgment for the Duchess of Sussex on her claim for copyright infringement.

“The court found that Associated Newspapers infringed her copyright by publishing extracts of her handwritten letter to her father in The Mail On Sunday and in MailOnline.

“There will be a trial of the remedies to which the duchess is entitled, at which the court will decide whether the duchess is the exclusive owner of copyright in all parts of the letter, or whether any other person owns a share.”

The statement will also appear on MailOnline for one week.

The court ruled on Friday that ANL misused the Duchess of Sussex’s private information and infringed her copyright.

Lord Justice Warby rejected ANL’s plea for appeal, saying it had “no real prospect of success”.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in