
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SAN FRANCISCO (AP) If you’re thinking about posting a sexy photo of yourself on the Internet, don’t.
The Internet could easily be your biggest crime, a court ruled Tuesday.
In a ruling that was hailed by the women’s advocacy group, the Federal District Court in San Francisco said a person has to obtain permission to use an image, photo or video to promote or advertise the product or service of a company or a person.
It also ordered a woman to pay $10,000 in legal fees and another $100,000 to cover her attorney fees, the Associated Press reported.
The ruling applies to nearly 200 cases from six states and Puerto Rico.
The AP has filed similar suits.
In one of the cases, a woman named Julie from Texas was seeking permission to post a photo of herself on the internet in 2012 after she and a friend had a baby.
They were having a backyard party, Julie’s lawyer, Paul Nunez, said.
She was looking for the right place to post the photo and the woman suggested a Facebook page for her, Julie said.
The woman posted the photo on the page, which was used by the company she was representing, and it was shared widely, Julie testified.
Julie said she then realized that the company was in violation of the law and wanted to take legal action against them.
She said she did not have the money to fight the lawsuit because the company had paid her a $500 compensation check for the use of the image.
The case is the latest to highlight the dangers of the online community.
In 2014, a man from Colorado was sentenced to 10 years in prison after posting a picture of himself holding a gun on Facebook.
The photo, which showed the woman in a bikini, caused uproar in the community.
The California Supreme Court in 2014 upheld the conviction, saying the law was designed to protect women who have been sexually assaulted or otherwise violated.