Ariana Grande has been sued after posting paparazzi photos of herself on her social media accounts.
Photographer Robert Barbera is claiming the popstar infringed on his copyright by using two photos he took of her to promote her recent album Sweetener without obtaining permission.
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The photos captured Grande in public carrying a bag with the name of her album on it. She then used the snaps on Instagram and Twitter with the caption "happy sweetener day" to celebrate the record's release.
Her post on Instagram attracted 3.3 million likes before being removed from the site, according to news site Rogue Rocket.
"[Grande] is not, and has never been, licensed or otherwise authorised to reproduce, publicly display, distribute and/or use the photographs," the court filing read.
Barbera is seeking compensation in the form of either the profits earned from the photos or between US$2,500 and US$25,000 in damages for each photo.
Copyright laws in the US permit photographers to take pictures of anyone who appears in public. Those pictures are then owned by the photographer.
The only restriction is they cannot sell those photos for commercial purposes, mainly advertising, without permission from the subject.
Grande is not the only celebrity to have been sued by photographers over the past few years. Gigi Hadid, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Simpson, Khloe Kardashian and 50 Cent have all been sued by paparazzi or members of the public who have snapped them while out and about.
Newshub.
