Charlotte Church's massive settlement with the News of the World over the harassment of both her family and herself will prove a pivotal moment in how our media clashes with celebrities.
It has long been the practise that when someone archives a certain level of fame, their families become as much a target as the star themselves. Take the case of the footballer John Terry – whatever your view of his track record in the public eye, it is surely wrong that his mother, brother and father have suffered at the hands of the press.
It is not of course straightforward. In the case of Kate Middleton, her sister Pippa has reached for the media lawyers citing harassment when she is pursued by photographers. Yet she has readily accepted a £400,000 advance for a book about party planning. Clearly without the profile that advance would have barely made four figures.
Kate Middleton does have a brother James, who is barely known to the public despite being a key figure at one of the most celebrated weddings of recent times. The lesson here is be careful what you wish for. Enjoy the media spotlight on the back of a family member and your privacy is likely to be breached. But if you don't seek it, I believe the media will now keep a safe distance through fear of a Church-style lawsuit.
Soon these issues may become even more widespread, Katarina Witt is a client of my agency. In her native Germany she can't even be photographed in public because early in her career she chose not to do celebrity interviews or ever discuss her private life.
The way the Leveson Inquiry is going, plus the pressure for European laws to be aligned, I can see a similar system developing over here. Our judges effectively follow this rule already by ruling favourably for anyone who does not seek publicity for their personal life, famous or not.
If the media is to maintain its freedoms, this is surely one area where it truly is time for it to declare a code of behaviour around those close to our highest-profile individuals.
Phil Hall was editor of the News of the World and is chairman of PHA Media. Phil writes a regular column for PRmoment.com.
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