Dive Brief:

• Katherine Heigl is suing pharmacy chain Duane Reade for a tweet showing a paparazzi photo of the actress leaving one of its locations, bags bearing its logo in hand.
• The tweet read, "Love a quick #DuaneReade run? Even @KatieHeigl can't resist shopping #NYC's favorite drugstore," and it could cost the chain $6 million in damages.
• This should ultimately serve as a lesson to social media managers, as a tweet like Duane Reade's can imply a celebrity endorsement and celebs (and anyone else, for that matter) must provide permission for the use of their name or likeness in advertising.

Dive Insight:

This lawsuit could set a major legal precedent for brands on social media. A decision stating that a company's tweets should be considered advertising would impact how all brands approach social media in general. The good news is that such a decision would clear up the legal waters a little bit. The bad news for brands, though, is that it could open the door for more litigation in similar situations. It might be a good time to review a few timelines.