A New Caledonian blogger has launched a fundraising effort after the territory's president, Philippe Gomes, succeeded in a court case taken against the website for publishing a photo of him attending a government-funded staff reception at a Noumea hotel last year.
Although the photo was taken by a government photographer, Mr Gomes claimed that the event, which was attended by about 2,000 people, was a strictly private event.
The court found that the website was not allowed to use photos taken by the government photographer without the government's consent, but rejected the president's privacy concerns.
The blogger behind the Caledosphere website says he cannot afford to appeal and is now soliciting orders for a t-shirt about his site to cover the legal costs.
