Meghan Markle will receive just £1 in damages from the UK Mail on Sunday following her copyright win.
The Duchess of Sussex sued the newspaper’s publisher, Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), over five articles that reproduced parts of a “private letter” she sent to her father Thomas Markle in August 2018.
The former Suits star won the case in February 2021, after the High Court ruled that the publication of her letter was unlawful.
It has since been revealed that Meghan’s payout from the publication will amount to just £1.
Media lawyer Mark Stephens told the Guardian that in cases like this “you would expect [a payout of] £75,000 to £125,000”.
However, the Mail on Sunday will also pay an unspecified amount of money for the separate copyright case for publishing large parts of Meghan’s letter.
A spokesperson for the Duchess told the Guardian that the amount was substantial and would be donated to charity.
It comes after the Mail on Sunday printed a front-page statement acknowledging Meghan’s copyright victory.
The statement, which was published on December 26th 2021, read: “The Duchess of Sussex wins her legal case for copyright infringement against Associated Newspapers for articles published in The Mail on Sunday and posted on Mail Online – SEE PAGE 3.”
On page three of the paper, under the heading ‘The Duchess of Sussex’, it says: “Following a hearing on 19-20 January, 2021, and a further hearing on 5 May, 2021, 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 on Mail Online. Financial remedies have been agreed.”
