Musician Jennifer Lopez was sued for use of a photo without permission.
Lopez, 50, was accused of posting a photo owned by Splash News and Picture Agency to her Instagram back in 2017, according to a report published by Page Six. The lawsuit was filed Saturday in the US District Court for the Central District of California.
The image in question showed Lopez and fiancé Alex Rodriguez holding hands while grabbing breakfast in New York City.
Splash news claimed it “never licensed the photograph to [Lopez].”
“Nevertheless, Lopez used it without authorization or permission from [Splash] to do so,” the lawsuit added.
“Specifically, Lopez or someone acting on her behalf copied the photograph and distributed it on Instagram, via the @jlo account, on a story posted November 7, 2017,” Splash news claimed. (RELATED: REPORT: Jennfier Lopez And Shakira Set To Perform At Superbowl LIV)
The agency chose to sue because the photograph had the potential to “gain revenue from licensing.”
“The photograph is creative, distinctive and valuable,” the suit argued. “Because of the subject’s celebrity status, and the photograph’s quality and visual appeal, [Splash] (and the photographer it represents) stood to gain revenue from licensing the photograph.”
The photo agency said it notified Lopez back in 2017 of the infringement by letter.
“At the time Lopez copied and distributed the photograph, she knew or should have known she did not have authorization or permission to do so,” the lawsuit claimed.