'Mirror' demands pounds 50,000 over use of Foot column
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.(First Edition)
MIRROR Group Newspapers is demanding damages and an apology from UK Press Gazette, the journalists' trade magazine, for alleged breach of copyright in publishing a column by the former Daily Mirror journalist, Paul Foot.
'They (UKPG) have no more right to breach copyright - to steal other people's material - than any other publication and they must pay for the theft,' MGN said in a statement.
Mr Foot resigned last month after the Daily Mirror's editor, David Banks, refused to print his column, which was heavily critical of the newspaper's management. Mr Foot distributed copies of the column outside MGN headquarters and this week's UKPG printed it, virtually in full.
In a statement issued yesterday, UKPG disclosed that MGN was demanding pounds 50,000 and an apology. It said MGN's lawyers had written saying: 'Our clients had sound editorial reasons for not publishing the article and, as proprietors of the copyright in the article, had the right to publish or not as they saw fit.'
Tony Loynes, editor and publisher of UKPG, said he had no intention of paying the pounds 50,000 or making an apology, though he had agreed not to publish the Mr Foot's column again.
Mr Loynes said he had taken legal advice before publishing, which was that publication was legitimate. 'We stand by what we did. We aren't paying.'
In the UKPG statement, Mr Loynes said: 'Several thousand copies of the Paul Foot column were widely circulated in original and fax form. We merely gave wider circulation to ensure that others could read what so many already had, and in particular for journalists and others to whom this is a matter of great public interest.'
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments