Sunday Herald names footballer
Public
Yes, that footballer. The one everyone with the slightest interest in the matter (and many of those who don't) already know the name of. The BBC article says that the Herald has published a photo of the man on its front page, with a black "censored" bar across his eyes. The man is apparently easily recognisable, but the Herald makes the point that as a Scottish publication it is not bound by injunctions from the English courts.
Whatever the rights and wrongs of the matter, it's pretty obvious now that this type of injunction simply cannot survive in its present form where megastars are concerned. I don't see how the footballer can possibly sue Twitter: it's an American company, after all. And as for suing the people who've retweeted the guy's name, that's going to be about as successful as suing everyone who's ever downloaded a dodgy music track -- ie, not at all.
I can't imagine, though, what this footballer and his lawyers are playing at. If he'd just let the story go, it would have burned itself out in the tabloids within a couple of weeks and he could have got on with sorting out his family life. As it is, the story has gained massive currency and is now being talked about by people who don't even know who he is, and in countries where he's not even a well-known figure. He's dug himself into a massive hole.
Yes, that footballer. The one everyone with the slightest interest in the matter (and many of those who don't) already know the name of. The BBC article says that the Herald has published a photo of the man on its front page, with a black "censored" bar across his eyes. The man is apparently easily recognisable, but the Herald makes the point that as a Scottish publication it is not bound by injunctions from the English courts.
Whatever the rights and wrongs of the matter, it's pretty obvious now that this type of injunction simply cannot survive in its present form where megastars are concerned. I don't see how the footballer can possibly sue Twitter: it's an American company, after all. And as for suing the people who've retweeted the guy's name, that's going to be about as successful as suing everyone who's ever downloaded a dodgy music track -- ie, not at all.
I can't imagine, though, what this footballer and his lawyers are playing at. If he'd just let the story go, it would have burned itself out in the tabloids within a couple of weeks and he could have got on with sorting out his family life. As it is, the story has gained massive currency and is now being talked about by people who don't even know who he is, and in countries where he's not even a well-known figure. He's dug himself into a massive hole.