Khloé Kardashian sued by paparazzi agency over copyright infringement

TV personality Khloe Kardashian. Photo / Getty

Ms. Khloé Kardashian has found herself in hot water after posting a paparazzi picture of herself on social media.

According to People, she has been fined $US150,000 ($NZ217,995) for sharing the snap with her followers without permission.

Xposure Photos UK Limited is accusing the Kardashian sister of using one of their copyrighted photos without credit.

(L-R) TV personalities and sisters Khloe Kardashian, Kendall Jenner and Kylie Jenner. Photo / Getty

The photo company says that Khloé "copied" the picture they took of her in Miami last year and posted it to her Instagram account the following day but the photo "had been altered to remove the copyright management information (CMI) showing plaintiff as the copyright owner of the image."

Xposure claims that she didn't "seek permission to use the photographs" and that her unauthorised use "harm[ed] the existing and future market for the original photograph," adding, "Kardashian uses her Instagram feed for the purposes of promotion - specifically, to promote her own business interests, products, and ventures; to promote and sell the products and services of others ... Kardashian's Instagram post made the photograph immediately available to her nearly 67 million followers and others, consumers of entertainment news - and especially news and images of Kardashian herself, as evidenced by their status as followers of Kardashian - who would otherwise be interested in viewing licensed versions of the photograph in the magazines and newspapers that are plaintiff's customers."

A rep for Kardashian has not commented.