Photographer Saeed Bolden has filed a lawsuit against Kim Kardashian after claiming that she posted a picture he took onto Instagram without his authorization, according to TMZ.
This pic, featuring Kanye West and Kim, was posted onto the account in October 2018, and moved 2.2+ million people enough to get them to click the heart to indicate they liked it. Actually, you know what? We can embed things, so let's just post the picture in question right here:
The suit was filed in a New York federal court on Wednesday.
Bolden contends that he snapped this pic, which makes him the owner. He says he never gave Kardashian West permission to post it, and he also says he wasn't paid when she put it up. TMZ adds that this image was captured during a release party for Nas' album Nasir. Kanye West was a producer on that record.
E! adds that the U.S. Copyright Office shows that, in 2019, Bolden registered a copyright for a 2018 image he took of Kardashian.
Bolden does not give an estimate as to what the image is worth, but his suit says he's seeking profits made by Kardashian West off the post, plus punitive damages. He requested a jury trial.
Also named in the suit is SKIMS, Kim's shapewear line. TMZ wrote the reasoning behind that is that "he claims it shares Kim's IG account," though they add that Skims' account didn't post the image.
This case is not nearly without precedent, as other stars to recently get sued for posting unlicensed photos of themselves on Instagram, often taken by paparazzi, include: Gigi Hadid, Ariana Grande, Katy Perry, and Justin Bieber. Those suits often sought more than $100,000.
As for how they worked out? Grande and Bieber settled their suits, Hadid's request to get hers tossed was granted by a federal court, and Perry's is still pending.
