Madonna seeks £5 million in photo dispute

Madonna wants £5 million from The Mail On Sunday for publishing pictures of her wedding to Guy Ritchie in 2000.

The popstar's barrister Matthew Nicklin told the High Court that no photos of her marriage ceremony had been published anywhere until October 19 in the British newspaper.

The Mail On Sunday's article included 11 snaps across the front page and double-page inside spread.

A judge was told that the pictures from the "wholly private" wedding eight years ago had been "surreptitiously" copied by an interior designer at her Beverly Hills home.

Nicklin said: "She was ambushed, for the simple reason that if The Mail on Sunday had told her what they intended to do, the claimant would have sought and obtained an injunction."

He added that the publication, which paid '£5,000' for the pictures, "makes no attempt to defend what it did" and admitted to breach of privacy and copyright.

Proceedings over the damages to be paid are expected to be heard at the High Court in 2009.