American photographer Robert Barbera has sued Ariana Grande over two photographs she shared on Instagram that showed her shopping in New York City.

Barbera is suing for copyright infringement in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

He alleged that Grande shared on Instagram two photos he took of her without licensing or asking for “permission or consent to publish the photographs.,” multiple sources reported.

The photos in question were snapped as Grande strolled through Manhattan with a bag featuring the word “Sweetener,” the name of the star’s 2018 album and current world tour.

The Blast reported that the photos, which she captioned “Happy sweetener day,” have been taken down. More than 3.3 million people liked them when she shared them on the day her album was released.

The photographer is suing for $25,000 per photo posted or all of the profits she received from posting them, whichever amount is greater, TMZ reported.

Grande is not a sweetheart of the National Press Photographers Association and many news organisations because of the tough rules her handlers imposed.

The NPA, including the Associated Press and the New York Times, sent a letter to Grande’s tour company objecting to the agreement that photographers covering her tour had to sign.

They said rules about the use of flash and where photos could be taken was too strict compared to those of other artists. The biggie was the stipulation that all rights to the photos would belong to the tour. (NAN)