In an exclusive on February 3, Economedia’s publications reported that Economedia was suing another Bulgarian media company and a fledgling politician for breach of copyright by allegedly using photographs without permission.

In itself, a story of only the faintest interest. The internet is a riot, and looting of photographs and text by mobs is long since out of control.

However, the background to the story and the characters in it lend it slightly greater interest because the tale is an episode in the scuffles in Bulgaria’s wider political life.

The court actions are against titles owned by Irina Krasteva’s media group as well as against former journalist Nikolai Barekov, now of the “Bulgaria without Censorship” party, all of whom are wont to say beastly things about Economedia owner Ivo Prokopiev, whose titles in turn are wont to be less than kind to Krasteva, her controversial son Delyan Peevski and others within that ilk.

In the case of the court action, the allegation by Economedia is that its photographs were used without permission. Naturally, it will be for the court to decide who is telling the truth, but it is the actual content of the photographs that is of interest.

Taken in 1995, they depict a number of luminaries from the controversial business group SIC, and in their company, Boiko Borissov.

Given the current hostility towards Borissov on the part of the Krasteva’s media group and Barekov, the latter formerly known for, among other things, his many interviews in Borissov in the days that neither Barekov nor Krasteva’s media showed any sign of hostility towards him – anything but – the allegation of using such photographs without permission would seem a serious strate