Photo agency sues Justin Bieber over use of copyrighted pictures

The success of California businesses is often built on their copyrighted materials. Unfortunately, it is not always easy to protect that material from unauthorized use. One California photo agency is currently dealing with a significant violation of its copyrighted pictures, and has filed a lawsuit against the pop singer Justin Bieber.

The photo agency claims that Bieber posted at least 14 of the photo agency’s copyrighted photos to his Instagram account. The photos in question featured Bieber, although it is not clear when or where they were taken. The lawsuit is asking for $2.1 million for damages, but this route was apparently not the photo agency’s first choice.

Before filing the lawsuit, the agency tried to work with Bieber outside of the courtroom. The parties were never able to reach an agreeable solution, so the agency decided to move forward with litigation. Part of the problem reaching an agreement could be because Bieber allegedly posted four more copyrighted photos while the agency was still trying to work with him on a solution.

This is not the first time that Bieber has been accused of using copyrighted pictures. The problem is much larger than just one celebrity posting on social media, too. Many people do not understand that just because a picture exists, that does not mean it is for general use. This is why California businesses should be sure to stand up to copyright infringement. By pushing back on unauthorized uses, business can seek compensation while also bringing attention to this problem.