It's true, if someone holds the rights to a photo of you, you can be sued for using it without permission.
Jessica Simpson found this out the hard way after being slammed with a lawsuit for posting a picture of herself on her Instagram and Twitter accounts.
The photo agency, Splash News, had granted exclusive rights to the Daily Mail to publish paparazzi photos online of Simpson exiting the New York's Bowery Hotel, which Simpson then shared on her various social media accounts.
Since Splash had the rights to these photos they are suing Simpson because, "The company never granted permission for Simpson, to use the photos, and by posting them online she violated Splash News' copyright."
Splash News contends that Simpson sharing the photo on social media took away potential revenue that could have been generated by licensing the photo to other media outlets.
This is why Splash is mad:
Simpson has nearly 11.5 million followers, and by sending out this photo it makes it available for everyone to see. This would deter any media outlets to buy the photo from Splash News, as it has already been seen by everyone and has lost it's value.
The agency is seeking $25,000 in damages from Simpson. But this isn't the first time something like this has happened, other celebrities such as Gigi Hadid and Khloe Kardashian have also been sued for similar reasons.
So if by chance you are posting pictures taken of you, make sure they're not owned first.