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Emily Ratajkowski - The supermodel and her company, Emrata Holdings Inc., were previously sued by paparazzo Robert O'Neil for a photo he took that she then posted to her Instagram Story in 2019. He was looking for US$150,000, plus all the profits she earned off the photo, but they settled out of court. 

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Lisa Rinna -

The 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' star grew up with paparazzi jumping out of the bushes to photograph her and her kids. Rinna stated that she's always had a symbiotic relationship with the press, which is why she was shocked to learn that she was being sued for US$1.2 million for posting photos the paparazzi took of her on Instagram. A media agency called Backgrid brought the suit against her, claiming she used at least eight of their photos on her social media accounts which has caused them significant financial loss. Rinna's lawyers argued that there was "an implied license was created between herself and the Plaintiff (and subject photographers), whereby it was understood that Ms. Rinna would be permitted to use and comment on these photographs of her and her family without facing a claim of 'infringement.'"

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Jennifer Lopez - J.Lo is no stranger to these kind of cases. She was also sued over a paparazzi photo she shared on Instagram in 2017.

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Jennifer Lopez - Splash News and Picture Agency sued Lopez over copyright infringement of a photo of her holding hands with Alex Rodriguez in New York City.

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Jennifer Lopez - The company requested US$150,000, and filed an injunction to stop J.Lo and her team from posting the photo again.

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Amy Schumer -

The actress was sued by photographer Felipe Ramales for posting photos he took of her pushing her son in his stroller as she sports a "Plus Size Brain" sweatshirt, which is for sale on her website's store. For using these photos on both her Instagram and her website without permission, Ramales sought a trial by jury, monetary damages, and legal fees among other relief, including up to US$150,000 per work infringed.

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LeBron James -

The basketball superstar was sued by NBA photographer Steven Mitchell, who claimed James posted a photo he took on social media without his permission. Mitchell sued for payment, asking for any profit the player made off sharing the photo, or alternatively US$150,000 for each time he used the image.

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Bella Hadid -

In September 2019, the supermodel posted a photo of herself sporting a black-and-white checked Tommy Hilfiger hat from the designer's collaboration with Zendaya. She had no idea that declaring her love for this hat to her 28.5 million followers would anger photographer Timur Mishiev so much that he would take it to the Manhattan Federal Court and seek unspecified damages for infringing on his copyright.

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Kim Kardashian -

A photo she posted on Instagram back in 2018 alongside her then-husband Kanye West (which has received 2.2 million likes) has been met two years later with the ire of photographer Saeed Bolden, who says he didn't give permission for the photo to be used, nor was he compensated. As a result, he sued for any profits she made off the post, plus punitive damages.

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Kim Kardashian -

This news comes as a bit of a surprise, as Kim Kardashian has largely found a way of getting around the system by hiring her own paparazzi photographer.

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Kim Kardashian - She told her fans on Twitter that they could repost her photos whenever they wanted, if they came without an agency tag.

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Liam Hemsworth - The actor was sued for copyright infringement by Splash News and Picture Agency, over photos that paparazzo Janet Mayer took of him while filming an outdoor scene for his film 'Isn't It Romantic.' They alleged that he posted the photo to his Instagram Story without permission, and are seeking US$150,000 in damages.

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Justin Bieber -

Justin Bieber was sued by paparazzo Richard Barbera, who was "seeking unspecified damages," for posting a copyright-protected photograph of himself on Instagram. In the photo, Bieber is seen with his friend, celebrity pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr. Remarkably, Barbera also went after Ariana Grande for the same reason. But Bieber has since said they "worked it out."

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Ariana Grande - In May 2019, paparazzo Robert Barbera sued the singer for two photos she posted on Instagram without his permission. The photos received over three million likes.

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Ariana Grande - Barbera sought either the profits that the singer earned from the Instagram post, or US$25,000 in damages for each photo.

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Khloé Kardashian - In 2017, Khloé Kardashian was yet another celeb to face a lawsuit over a photo posted on Instagram.

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Khloé Kardashian - Khloé Kardashian reportedly came across the photo of her and Kourtney Kardashian going to a restaurant in Miami on a fan website, and decided to share it on social media.

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Khloé Kardashian -

Xposure Photos was seeking US$150,000 for the copyright infringement and US$25,000 for the "unauthorized alteration or removal of copyright information." The agency eventually dropped the case.

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Gigi Hadid - In February 2019, the model was also sued for copyright infringement, over a photo she posted on Instagram in 2018.

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Gigi Hadid - The model took to Instagram to express her dissatisfaction with the situation and her views on the paparazzi.

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Gigi Hadid - Hadid eventually came out victorious in her case against Xclusive-Lee. However, she was sued yet again for posting a paparazzi photo of ex-boyfriend Zayn Malik.

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Jessica Simpson - In January 2018, Jessica Simpson was also sued for sharing a photo of herself in front of the Bowery Hotel in New York City on Instagram.

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Jessica Simpson - Before Jessica Simpson dropped out of high school to follow through on a record deal, she was elected homecoming queen twice. Simpson later went on to complete her GED.

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Jessica Simpson -

Splash News and Picture Agency sued Simpson for copyright infringement.

The case was eventually dismissed on March 30, 2018.

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50 Cent - In 2017, the rapper was yet another famous star to be hit by a lawsuit after posting an unauthorized photo of himself on Instagram.

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50 Cent - Photographer Christopher Pasatieri claimed damages for the alleged copyright infringement, but no other details have been disclosed.

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Odell Beckham Jr - The NFL star was also sued over a photo posted without permission.

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Odell Beckham Jr. - But the American football player actually accused the agency of extortion after they requested a US$40,000 payment for a photo he shared on Instagram.

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Odell Beckham Jr - Defense against paparazzi copyright infringement is complex, but this time , the agency's complaint backfired.

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Katherine Heigl - In 2014, the actress also stood up for the right of owning her image and sued American drugstore chain Duane Reade.

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Katherine Heigl - The chain used a paparazzi photo of her carrying the pharmacy's shopping bags, and used it for promotion on social media.

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Katherine Heigl - The US$6 million lawsuit against the drugstore was eventually withdrawn.

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Copyright trolling - Not only are celebrity social media accounts being targeted, but fan pages have also been subject to copyright infringement claims. US lawyer Neel Chatterjee, who specializes in intellectual property, believes that this is because agencies are looking for new ways to increase their revenue streams.

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Big business -

In the US, penalties for copyright infringement can cost up to US$150,000 per violation. It looks like there is a lot of money to be made, so paparazzi are on the lookout.

See also: Royals vs. Paparazzi: a historic tale of love and hate

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