J.Lo Sued For 150k Over Instagram Photo, Allegedly Posted Image Of Herself Without Photog’s Permission

A photo that Jennifer Lopez shared on Instagram could cost her. According to court documents obtained by E! News, New York photographer Steve Sands is accusing the singer and her production company Nuyorican Productions for copyright infringement and is seeking an excess of $150,000 in damages. The lawsuit was filed in the Manhattan Federal Court by lawyer Richard Liebowitz.

Liebowitz claimed,

“This is an example of celebrities using photographer’s photographs without permission to brand themselves on social media. The number of likes the photograph receives coupled with their number of social media followers is a tool to commercialize their posts.”

The photo of Jennifer Lopez, which she posted on Instagram on June 22, 2017, received more than 656,000 likes. The federal lawsuit cited that Jennifer Lopez used the photograph taken of her by Steve Sands to “promote their brand” on Instagram—where the singer has more than 119 million followers, without receiving permission to post or any compensation.

This is not the first time J. Lo has been sued for using a photographer’s pictures. Back in December 2018, a photographer filed a lawsuit against the actress and her production company for copyright infringement. In court documents, Michael Stewart claimed that Lopez shared a photo – which he had taken – of herself to her Instagram Story, without his permission. He cited that the image is licensed to another website.

Jennifer is not the only celeb this year that has been sued for using a photographer’s pictures on social media. In January, Kim Kardashian West was sued for a nearly two-year-old post of her and her husband Kanye West. Saeed Bolden said he owns the photo and never said Kim Kardashian West could use it.

Kanye West, Kim Kardashian

He also alleged she didn’t pay him for it either. While it’s not clear how much he’s suing for, Kim Kardashian West is said to make $1 million per Instagram post.

What do you guys think about Jennifer Lopez being sued again for using a photographer’s photos? Voice your thoughts in the comments below.