Holiday photos with the grumpy ol' Grinch are becoming more popular as families look for an alternative way to celebrate the season, instead of just sitting on Santa's lap.
However, photographers around the country are warning one another to avoid shooting with the Grinch unless they want to end up with a hefty fee.
Photographers are sharing a viral warning on social media that Dr. Seuss Enterprises, which owns the copyright to all Dr. Seuss intellectual property, will come after anyone who shoots Grinch-themed photos for profit with a cease and desist letter.
"Friendly reminder that doing Grinch photo sessions FOR A PROFIT is federal trademark infringement, and Dr. Seuss Int. literally hires out a team this time of year to reverse image search and sue photogs for profit," the post reads. "Unless you got $120000 for a license, that's not a lawsuit you will win!"
The warning has gone around every year since a family photographer in Arkansas went viral in 2019 for her "Grinchmas" photo shoot, which showed young kids being scared by the Grinch at a Christmas tree farm.
After Kim Durham's photos made headlines around the world, she received a cease and desist letter from Dr. Seuss Enterprises threatening legal action for using their character for commercial gain, USA Today reported.
By complying with their demands -- which included canceling photo sessions and media appearances, as well as deleting the photos from social media and agreeing to never again use any Seuss-related property without permission from the company -- Durham said she was able to avoid any legal action.