Paparazzi Photographers Are Doubling Down on Their Copyright Lawsuits

Justin Bieber is the latest celeb on a quickly-lengthening list of stars who have been sued by photographers over posting paparazzi photos on their personal Instagram accounts. The court documents, as reported by E! News, claim that the photo in question, a pap shot of Bieber and pastor Rich Wilkerson, belongs to photographer Robert Barbera, the "sole owner of all right, title and interest in and to the Photograph, including the copyright thereto." Just last week, Splash News and Picture Agency announced they were seeking $150,000 from Jennifer Lopez on the same grounds. Stars like Gigi Hadid, Khloé Kardashian and Jessica Simpson have been on the receiving end of this lawsuit, as well. The popularity of social media has opened a bigger door into the issue of who has what power over these photos. The stars are posting photos of themselves that were taken without much -- if any -- consent in the first place, but the photos could lose worth for the photographers once they're on social media.