Justin Bieber has become the latest musician to be sued for posting photos of themselves, with the Canadian musician reportedly being hit with a lawsuit recently.
If you’re a concert photographer, then you’re likely already aware of how hard it can be to navigate the world of copyright and asking people for a credit when sharing your work.
While it’s hard enough to avoid being kicked in the face while taking shots, we’ve seen The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus come under fire for stealing an artist’s work, and we’ve seen a record label blatantly insult a photographer asking for payment for their work.
In fact, you might remember how Ariana Grande made headlines earlier this year after New York-based photographer Robert Barbera filed a lawsuit against the singer, claiming she reposted his copyrighted photos of her without express permission.
Now, Barbera is standing up for his rights as a photographer once again, filing a lawsuit against Justin Bieber.
Check out the photo in question:
As E! News reports, Justin Bieber took to Instagram back in March to share an image of himself with friend Rich Wilkerson.
“Me and my guy,” Bieber wrote in the caption, also making no reference to the original photographer of the pic.
Barbera claims that Bieber’s “unauthorized reproduction and public display” of the photo owned and registered by the photographer has led to him filing court documents. Likewise, he claims that Bieber did not attempt to “license the photograph”, meaning that he lacked “permission or consent to publish” the picture in question.
“Barbera is the author of the Photograph and has at all times been the sole owner of all right, title and interest in and to the Photograph, including the copyright thereto,” court documents explain.
Justin Bieber is yet to respond to the lawsuit, though it seems that repeated lawsuits as this should serve as a reminder to artists and fans alike to seek permission for photos that are posted.
Check out ‘Love Yourself’ by Justin Bieber:
