Can You Infringe Someone Else's Copyright By Posting a Photograph Of Yourself? A Zimbabwean Legal Perspective.
Introduction
In an age where personal moments are captured and shared instantly, a unique yet significant legal question arises: Can you be sued for copyright infringement by reposting a photograph of yourself on social media?
This question, although counterintuitive to many, has ignited genuine legal battles, most notably involving the American singer and actress Jennifer Lopez, who was sued after sharing red carpet photographs of herself taken by professional photographers.
The story goes that a photographer by the name of Edwin Blanco accused Lopez of posting his copyrighted photographs from a pre-Golden Globes party in January without his consent. He filed a complaint on May 17th 2025. Another suit was filed by news and photo agency Backgrid USA, who also targeted Lopez over the same photographs, which it co-owns with Blanco.
Lawyers for Blanco and Backgrid alleged that Lopez posted the photographs of her arriving at and departing from the party, which took place on January 4 in Los Angeles, on her social media channels without contacting them or seeking a licence. According to the Los Angeles Times, Lopez is being sued for statutory damages up to US$150 000.00 for each posted photograph.
Although that case falls under U.S copyright law, it presents intrusive parallels for Zimbabwe. This article briefly explores how Zimbabwean law, particularly the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act [Chapter 26:05] (“The Act”), approaches this issue. It examines who owns the rights in a photograph, the legal implications of reposting such images, and the limited exceptions available.
