On May 17, photographer Edwin Blanco and agency BackGrid USA filed separate suits alleging superstar Jennifer Lopez posted pictures of herself without the permission of the photographer.
The plaintiffs argue they co-own the shots and that Lopez’s posts generated commercial buzz by tagging fashion partners in the captions. Each complaint seeks up to $150,000 in statutory damages, citing the Copyright Act’s upper limit for willful infringement.
Attorney Peter Perkowski wrote that the images served “self-promotion” by spotlighting designers tied to Lopez’s brand deals. He framed the post as marketing, not personal sharing, an important distinction in infringement cases where fair use defenses often fail.
Lopez faced a similar lawsuit in 2019 when Splash News sued over a street photo showing her with then-partner Alex Rodriguez. That matter settled on undisclosed terms, but it established a pattern that paparazzi lawyers now cite when negotiating damages.
Copyright law rarely sides with the subject of a photograph. Courts have upheld that rule even when the subject is a celebrity stalked in public.
Social media users erupted once the latest suits surfaced, calling it perverse that a singer can be sued for reposting images of herself. Others defended the photographers, noting their livelihood depends on licensing fees and that Lopez could have requested permission or paid a standard rate.
The two actions were assigned to different judges. Early procedural orders give Lopez until mid-June to respond. Typical defenses include arguing lack of registration or challenging statutory-damage eligibility if the photos were not registered before the alleged infringement.
For now, the disputed posts remain visible on Lopez’s accounts. Neither she nor her representatives have commented publicly, and the photographer’s team has not requested a takedown. The images keep accruing likes even as lawyers prepare their next filings.
Lead image by Wikipedia user Everwest, used under CC 4.0.
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