Президент Франції Ніколас Саркозі та Карла Бруні подали в суд на авіакомпанію Райянер за те, що та використала їхній фотознімок у рекламі. Бруні вимагає компенсації у 500 тисяч євро, кажучи, що це звичайна ціна за її фото. Передав Хью Скофільд:

Послухати репортаж

The advertisement appeared in French newspapers earlier this week as part of a Ryanair promotion for cut price fares. It showed a photograph of the presidential couple with a thought bubble coming from Ms Bruni's head containing the words: "With Ryanair, all my family can attend the wedding".

Nicolas Sarkozy and the model-turned-singer Carla Bruni have had a much-reported whirlwind romance and rumours of a marriage are very much in the air.

Ryanair said that the advertisement was meant to be a bit of fun - but in France, the laws on privacy and exploitation of a person's image are very strict. Carla Bruni is suing the airline for half-a-million euros - around seven-hundred-and-fifty-thousand dollars. Her lawyers told the court this is the amount she could charge for the use of her picture in an advertising campaign. The president is asking for a symbolic one euro in damages.

Ryanair said it's willing to pay ten thousand euros to settle the case. But it's called the half-million euro claim by Ms Bruni totally unjustified. She had, the airline has said, engaged in an open, widely publicised and internationally-reported relationship with President Sarkozy. The court will deliver its ruling next Tuesday.

Послухати слова

cut price fares
квитки за зниженими цінами

model-turned-singer
колишня модель, а тепер - співачка

whirlwind
швидкий та неочікуваний, немов вихор

rumours of a marriage are very much in the air
поширюються чутки про весілля

strict
суворий

is suing
подала в суд на

symbolic
символічний (у сенсі недостатній для компенсації, однак морально важливий)

to settle the case
here, to stop the couple talking publicly about the advertisement and demanding compensation

totally unjustified
жодним чином не виправданий

deliver its ruling
оголосити ухвалу/вирок