French first lady wins damages after magazine publishes pictures of her in a bikini (despite her own magazine using same images)

French first lady and journalist Valerie Trierweiler won damages today from a magazine which published pictures of her in a bikini even though her own publication also used them.
The farcical situation saw a judge at the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Paris order VSD, the celebrity magazine, to pay the 47-year-old the equivalent of £1,500.
Ms Trierweiler, who works for VSD’s direct rival, Paris Match, had demanded £24,000.

Bikini pictures: The French President's girlfriend Valerie Trierweiler has won damages from magazine VSD who published photos of her wearing a bikini even though she allowed their direct rival and her employer Paris Match to publish them

Paris Match is full of pictures of public figures on the beach every week, but Ms Trierweiler objected to another publication capturing a swim she enjoyed with Francois Hollande, her boyfriend and the French President, last month.
Paris legal source close to the case said: 'She didn't like the pictures so wanted them banned.
'Faxes were sent to editors, with lawyers threatening all kinds of measures for non-compliance.' 
Despite this, Ms Trierweiler only issued legal proceedings against VSD, suggesting that she was happy for Paris Match to publish the pictures on inside pages.
Many believed that Mr Hollande, 58, had staged the ‘shorts and bikini’ photo-shoot to prove that he was still ‘very much in love’ with his controversial girlfriend. 
Waiting photographers were astonished to see the portly couple splashing around on a beach close to the palatial Fort Bregancon, on the French Riviera, in August.

Rival celebrity magazines: VSD magazine (right) was issued with legal proceedings over the photos but its rival Paris Match (left) was not, suggesting Ms Trierweiler was happy to publish on inside pages of the magazine that employs her

The couple have been trying to play down speculation that Mr Hollande had threatened to dump his live-in lover after she tried to wreck his ex-girlfriend’s political career.
Ms Trierweiler tweeted her support for a candidate standing in parliamentary elections against Segolene Royal, the mother of the president’s four children.
Ms Royal went on to lose the election, widely blaming Ms Trierweiler for stabbing her in the back. 
Today Frederique Giffard, Ms Trierweiler’s lawyer, insisted that the court’s award was designed to ‘preserve the privacy’ of his client.
He conceded it was ‘customary for the press to report on various presidential holidays’ but it was not legitimate ‘to show the companion of the President of the Republic’ in a ‘swimsuit as she had never agreed to pose in this outfit.’ 
Despite the significant blow against a free press which the judgement represents, Mr Giffard claimed that Ms Trierweiler would give her award to the journalistic charity, Reporters Without Borders. 
Philippe Labi, editor VSD, said: ‘In principle we do not comment, but it is a little surprising to be attacked for such ordinary pictures.’ 
He said that photographers of former presidential couples, including Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni, had frequently been published all over the world. 
Ms Trierweiler has her own office and staff at the Elysee Palace, but has insisted that she keeps her job at a columnist on Paris Match.

Many believe the photos were staged to prove that French President Francois Hollande is still 'very much in love' with his controversial girlfriend after speculation that they had split up