Jennifer Lopez's social media use landed her in legal hot water over the weekend, after a photographer and celebrity news agencysued the multi-hyphenatefor copyright infringement over a pair of Instagram and X posts. In a complaint filed May 17, photographer Edwin Blanco accusedLopezof posting his copyrighted photographs froma pre-Golden Globes partyin January without consent. In a twin filing, news and photo agency Backgrid USA targetedLopezover the same photographs, which it co-owns with Blanco. Lawyers for Blanco and Backgrid alleged thatLopezposted the photos of her arriving and departing the party, which took place Jan. 4 in Los Angeles, on her social media channels without contacting them or seeking a license. USA TODAY has reached out to Lopez, Backgrid and Blanco's lawyers for comment. Jennifer Lopezreunites with 'Selena'co-star as Yolanda Saldívar parole denied in Texas The result, they argued, was a rapid spread of copyright infringement online, with several fan accounts forLopezreposting the images and the fashion brand Adrienne Landau, which designed her dress for the evening, posting the shot to its official Instagram page. Lawyers for Blanco and Backgrid called the Adrienne Landau post "particularly egregious" and argued it "directly leveraged (the) photographs to market the brand's products … generating promotional value for both the designer and Ms. Lopez, all without permission or compensation." Lopez's "unauthorized use of the Images is commercial in nature, intended for the purpose of self-promotion," the filing says. Both parties had attempted to settle the matter outside of court, lawyers for Blanco and Backgrid claimed, adding that Lopez's representatives were in communication with the photographer and agency to reach an "informal resolution" by paying him for the shots, but that she still had not signed the agreement. Jennifer Lopez says divorcefrom Ben Affleck was 'probably the hardest time of my life' The photos, which are not watermarked and showLopezin an old Hollywood-style fur coat and white slip dress, remain up on her Instagram. The complaints feature two separate claims of copyright infringement, as well as breach of contract, which refers toLopezseeking the settlement but never signing it. Blanco and Backgrid are requesting damages in an amount that can range up to $150,000 and include a jury trial. Lopez,a triple threat and longtime star, has taken a small step back from the spotlight in recent months,following a divorce from ex-fiancee-turned-new husband Ben Affleckand a series of projects chronicling their rekindled romance. She is expected to make a grand return later this month ashost of the American Music Awards. Backgrid is no stranger to lawsuits, often suing other celebrity news agencies, fashion brands and big-name stars over an alleged use of their photographs. In recent years, they have pursued legal action against celebrities likeLisa Rinna,Justin BieberandChristina Milian. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Jennifer Lopez sued over posting paparazzi photos of herself
