Mario Lavandeira, aka Perez Hilton, is a very successful blogger who slams and celebrates the famous with his vexing comments over their less than star like moments when caught by paparazzi. He is facing yet another hefty lawsuit over his use of photos some agencies claim he didn't pay them for.
Lavandeira is being sued for $7.6 million by the photo agency X17 Inc., which claims he has used 51 photographs without permission, payment or credit.
Now various news sources and the company website for Splash News and Picture Agency, Bauer-Griffin, Insight News and Features, Flynet Pictures, and London Entertainment Pictures report that they have filed a complaint in federal district court in California Monday, claiming more than 25 counts of infringement for a total of $7 million in damages.
"Perez has achieved his fame and fortune by unlawfully taking and exploiting other people's work," said Splash News's CEO Gary Morgan in a post on the company's blog. "Using someone else's only means of earning money to make yourself rich at their expense is most un-American."
Continuing: “Photographers work incredibly long hours quite often on a commission only basis to earn their living and Perez’s illegal use of the photos devalues their pictures in the legitimate celebrity magazine, TV and online world.
“Most bloggers are law abiding paying customers. They have to pay for photos but Perez gets rich by refusing to pay for them."
Hilton has posted a recent photo spread of himself in London's Ok! Magazine, and the headlines proclaim the gossip gansgster - as he refers to himself - will "force feed doughnuts to Victoria Beckham."
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