The Aussie actors were snapped by a paparazzi on the set of the Netflix original movie, Isn’t It Romantic. They shared the picture on Instagram and now they are being sued.
It must be a big week for copyright lawyers. First Married at First Sight guest, Jessika Power, illegally live streamed the Zerafa v Horn 2 Main Event fight, and now this. However, most people agree, this is madness.
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Paparazzis are loathed for their gross tactics to snap candid photos of celebrities to sell for a pretty penny. They hound celebrities and try to snap them in their most vulnerable states; trying to enjoy their holidays, enjoying a drink downtown, or whatever.
These photos are then sold to tabloid news sites where the private photos are published with outrageous headlines. I think it is safe to say that paparazzis don’t give a damn about human decency and are willing to ruin lives if it will earn them a dollar or two.
One of these tabloid sites is now suing Liam Hemsworth and Rebel Wilson for sharing on Instagram a photo taken of them.
Last Sunday tabloid gossip website, Splash News, sued Hemsworth in California federal court. Their grounds for legal action were that he allegedly infringed its rights in a behind-the-scenes photo taken of him during the filming of Isn’t It Romantic because it was licensed to The Daily Mail last year.
The photo in question was shared by Hemsworth on Instagram in July 2018 and in June again in 2019, The initial post promoted Isn’t It Romantic and encouraged fans to vote for it in the Teen Choice awards.
Hemsworth and Wilson sued $170k by paparazzi
“Legitimate publications to which Splash looks to pay syndication fees are unwilling to pay for work that is already widely disseminated on the internet for free by pirate sites and well-known celebrities,” writes attorney Peter Perkowski in the complaint, arguing that Hemsworth’s 13 million Instagram followers would have been interested in seeing the photo in magazines that paid to licensed it. Splash argues that the infringement was willful and therefore Hemsworth should pay statutory damages of up to $150,000 for each unauthorized use — plus another $25,000 for removing the watermark.
The attorney representing Xposure Photo Agency also filed an — almost — identical lawsuit against Rebel Wilson that same say.
Rebel Wilson is being sued over candid photos taken on the set of The Hustle that she also shared on her Instagram and Twitter accounts in April, 2018.
For our Aussie readers, that’s AUD$246,685.98. That a lot of many for just sharing pictures of yourself on Instagram.
What are your thoughts on the lawsuit? Did Hemsworth and Wilson do anything wrong? Let us know in the comments below.