October 23, 2008

Touchy? Moi?

by

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is threatening to sue K & B Publishing for its satirical biography of him that comes equipped with a Sarkozy voodoo doll, according to a BBC News report. “Users can stick the pins into choice quotes from Mr Sarkozy which are printed on the doll,” explains the report. Among the quotes: “Work more to earn more,” and “Get lost, jerk.” The President’s attorney has demanded that the just-published book and doll be removed from shops, saying Sarkozy owns the “exclusive and absolute rights” over his image. K & B also released a book and doll of Sarkozy’s rival, Segolene Royal, who called it “an affront to her human dignity.” This is not the first such suit from the tetchy Sarko: Last week a Beeb story reported on his suit again the former head of the French intelligence agency, Yves Bertrand, for libel after a magazine published his diary extracts about “all sorts of tittle-tattle about the financial, sexual and personal secrets of prominent men and women,” including Sarkozy. And an Agence France Presse wire story reports Sarkozy “sued the Irish low cost airline Ryanair for using his image in an ad.”

Dennis Johnson is the founder of MobyLives, and the co-founder and co-publisher of Melville House.

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