Gigi Hadid is facing another copyright infringement lawsuit for posting another paparazzi photo without permission.
According to the court documents that were obtained from People, on January 28 a case was submitted to the federal court regarding a photo Hadid posted without the photographer’s permission.
The independent photo agency that is suing Hadid is Xclusive. The photo that is causing all this drama was posted on Hadid’s Instagram in October 2018. The document alleges that approximately 1.6 million people commented or liked the photo within the first four days. The photo was from outside Vogue‘s Forces Of Fashion panel, which she was on with Ashley Graham, Kendall Jenner and Paloma Elsesser.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bq7jjJKnB6e/
Xclusive is seeking damages for copyright infringement and any profits the image might have earned.
Hadid has since deleted the photo from her page. Xclusive alleges that the model knows that what she is doing wrong and has actually posted copyrighted photos many times before.
“As of the date of this filing, Hadid’s Instagram account includes at least fifty examples of uncredited photographs of Hadid in public, at press events, or on the runway,” the document states.
Xclusive even referenced a similar copyright case Hadid was involved in back in 2017. The model was being sued by photographer Pete Cepeda for posting a photo of his to her Instagram page without permission. They eventually settled the case outside of court.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BqAoCSLnCL5/
“The facts alleged in Cepeda’s [case] are nearly identical to the facts alleged in the present case, including the allegation Hadid copied and posted [the] plaintiff Cepeda’s copyrighted photograph (pf Hadid on a public street in New York City) to Hadid’s Instagram and Twitter accounts without license or permission from Cepeda,” the court document claims.
Hadid clapped back on the paparazzi photographers who are suing her for being invasive and aggressive.
“Yesterday I heard from my management that I am being “legally pursed” for my last (now deleted) Instagram post,” Gigi wrote.
She then goes on to say that the photo was from an event where she knew the press would be at because it’s part of her job. But when she is photographed outside of her apartment or on the street that is not part of her job.
“… but, these people make money off us everyday [sic], LEGALLY stalking us day in and day out – for nothing special – for us to walk six feet to a car and six feet into a work building.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BpF_uK_nivH/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1b9udgjlkr8m5
She then goes on to say she found the image on Twitter with no source credit and that the image was already paid for by “whatever outlet put it online.”
Do you think Hadid will head to court or settle outside?