Media mogul Rupert Murdoch is suing ITV and ITN for reportedly using a video released by The Sun of Princess Kate at a farm shop in Windsor.
News Group Newspapers, Mr Murdoch’s firm that publishes The Sun, has filed an intellectual property claim against the broadcasters that produce the ITV News programming.
According to The Telegraph, the claim is thought to relate to a video showing the Princess of Wales with her husband Prince William at a farm shop in the Berkshire town last month.
The footage was exclusively obtained by The Sun and showed the princess in public for the first time after she underwent abdominal surgery.
Since then the princess revealed she was undergoing treatment for cancer.
It is believed The Sun is thought to be looking for a five-figure compensation package for the alleged copyright breach. ITV however said it will “strongly resist” any claim.
Express Online has approached NGN and ITN for a comment.
In the video, which was filmed by a passer-by, the 42-year-old Kate could be seen walking through the car park of a farm shop wearing a hoodie and leggings, carrying a shopping bag.
She was with William, who was also dressed down, wearing a beige baseball cap.
The video was released amid speculation about the princess as she recovered from her surgery. A subsequent picture released for Mothering Sunder was later revealed to be edited.
Internet speculation about the princess ended in March when she revealed she was undergoing chemotherapy. In a video address she told the public she was “going to be okay”.
Kate revealed she had been focusing on sharing the news with Princes Louis and George and Princess Charlotte so they could process the diagnosis in private.
News publishers rarely venture into the courts to pursue copyright claims.
Firms often use rivals’ work under a fair dealing exemption under copyright laws. This affords legal protection for material used for reporting current events if the original owner is attributed, reports The Telegraph.
The use can however be deemed to be unfair should the owner lose revenue or if the original material taken is said to be unreasonable.
ITV’s news coverage of Kate’s farm shop trip featured a watermark for The Sun. The channel is also said to have credited the footage to the newspaper.
It is thought NGN could however argue that the broadcaster used too much of the footage.
