Dua Lipa is in legal trouble for posting a photo of herself on her Instagram account. The Levitating singer is facing legal charges for posting a picture by the paparazzi. The singer posted it without taking their permission.
She has since deleted the picture of her standing in an airport holding a ticket and her passport. The legal documents suggest that she shared the picture without seeking authorization. Sources also suggest that Dua and her team were aware of the same and were said to profit from the controversial shot.
The Standpoint of the Owners of the Photo
In the lawsuit, the photo owners seek a staggering $150,000 in damages. The party also asked for a jury trial so that Dua does not commit further acts of infringement. They are also expecting her to cover the legal costs apart from the $150,000. Their point is that the star has monetized their content. That is because her social media accumulates followers who follow links or advertisements to consume or purchase the content.
It may seem counterintuitive that one cannot post their own photos. However, legal experts suggest that copyright law favors the photographer. The photographer is the owner of the photographer, no matter whoever is in it. On the other hand, the subject of the photo does not own the photo. This is especially true if it is in a public place.
The Other Side of the Paparazzi
But not all entertainment photographers think that infringement lawsuits are necessary. Many celebrity photographers believe that it is worth remembering that they are making money off the stars and not the other way round. A few photographers also consider it lucky if stars share their photographs.
They say it is lucky that celebrities consider their pictures good enough to post with millions of followers on their social media accounts. Some celebrities even collaborate with photographers to click their candid photographs, the so-called airport looks. This type of collaboration avoids any kind of legal hassles.
Khloé Kardashian Was Sued Too
Dua is not the first star to battle a lawsuit for posting paparazzi photos. There has been a slew of celebrities who have been in a similar situation, such as Gigi Hadid, Ariana Grande, Liam Hemsworth, Khloé Kardashian, Justin Bieber, and Jennifer Lopez.
Kardashian was sued in 2017 for copyright infringement after she used a photographer’s picture of her visiting a Miami restaurant without seeking permission from the photographer. Khloé later admitted to seeing the photo of hers on a fan website and reposted the same on her Instagram account. The two parties finally settled for an undisclosed amount.
Jessica Simpson’s Tweet Tussle
Simpson is battling legal challenges, too, as she posted a photo of herself leaving the Bowery Hotel in New York. The photographer was quick to defend himself. He states that he obtained the license of the photo for limited use. And he was planning on sharing with only with the Daily Mail when Simpson posted it on her Instagram account. She also shared it on her Twitter with over seven million followers.
Jennifer Lopez’s Not so Good Day
J.Lo was also sued for a similar reason as she posted a photo of herself in a chic striped blouse and high-waisted pants. Michael Stewart, the professional photographer, shot this picture. She also captioned the image as it was a good day!
Gigi Hadid And The Paparazzi
Model Gigi Hadid was the latest star slapped with a lawsuit over an image she posted of herself. A complaint was lodged against the model, as she had over 50 such uncredited photographs of Hadid in public.
These were from various press meets or the runway. Gigi had mentioned later that she was fighting a legal battle over a photograph.
Liam Hemsworth
The actor posted the disputed image in Liam’s case in July 2018 and June 2019. Liam did it to promote a film. The second time he posted it, Liam asked his fans to vote for his movie nominated in the Teen Choice awards. Liam Hemsworth was locking horns with the paparazzi outlet, Splash News. This drew the latter’s wrath as even the watermark imprinted upon the picture was removed.
Although out-of-court settlements have been the norm of the day between celebs and paparazzi, the tussle continues even if the celeb-paparazzi is symbiotic at best as one cannot exist without the other.