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Are Your Instagram Photos Really Yours? New Art Collection Reminds Us They Aren't

By KYW Social Media Editor Melony Roy

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - By now, everyone knows or has been told not to post anything online that they wouldn't want their mother or future employer to see, but now, thanks to the recent work of an artist in New York, you can update that warning to don't post anything you wouldn't want hanging in an art gallery.

Controversial artist Richard Prince's latest "work of art" contains photos he took from various Instagram accounts without warning or permission.

Philadelphia intellectual property lawyer Richard Pierce says when posting to social media there's always a risk:

"The reason why we see these issues probably a lot more frequently is because the content can be easily accessed and easily copied."

The collection entitled "New Portraits" is basically screenshots that have been enlarged to six-foot-tall inkjet prints. Nearly every piece sold for reported a $90,000 each.

"His argument is that he is transforming it in some way, so he's using it as a basis to create something new," Pierce says. "Then the copyright law under the fair use doctrine will allow that to take place and will not deem that to be an infringement."

The artist's Instagram account Richardprince1234 has over 10,000 followers, but only one post -- a screenshot of Taylor Swift from his "New Portraits" collection.

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