Ringier appeals Spiess-Hegglin profit ruling to Federal Supreme Court

Ringier has appealed a ruling ordering it to hand over about 140,000 Swiss francs in profits to former Zug cantonal councillor Jolanda Spiess-Hegglin, SRF reported on Friday.

The Zug Higher Court ruled that the publisher had to surrender profits from four Blick articles that violated Spiess-Hegglin’s personal rights. Ringier has challenged the decision before the Swiss Federal Supreme Court.

Spiess-Hegglin will not appeal the ruling. She said the decision confirmed her position, adding that both the first-instance court and the Higher Court had upheld her arguments on all legal issues and accepted her calculation model.

She said the proceedings before the Federal Supreme Court would give Ringier more time, but that every article and the advertising space marketed with it had been documented. Ringier, she said, would not avoid handing over the profits.

Ringier has argued for some time that the amount sought bears no relation to the publisher’s economic reality.