Actor Edward Norton, 43, got in a physical alternation with an amateur photographer in New York earlier this week, and he may be charged with "harassment." Norton, 43, was walking on an NYC sidewalk on Tuesday when he was approached by a man waving his camera phone.

The man, Alain Becerra-Calderon, asked Norton, "I got quick question. People say you look like me. Is that true?"

Norton reportedly replied, "Why are you stalking me? Get away from me!" proceeding to shove the camera away, hitting the photog's hand.

The photographer, who makes videos on a YouTube channel, then told police that Norton had attacked him. He went to hospital, where a doctor said he suffered a "tissue contusion" on his middle finger.

The NYPD is now investigating the "Fight Club" star for harassment.

Alain Becerra-Calderon said the exchange was "very, very scary" and the actor "needs to learn to control his temper. I asked if I could ask a question, and he grabbed my phone."

Norton was probed for a short period of time before they dropped the case. They referred the case to a civil court and it is unclear if Becerra-Calderon will file a lawsuit.

The laws against videotaping a person without their consent are fuzzy.

You can legally take pictures of celebrities as long as they're in public, such as on a New York City sidewalk. However, you may face liability if you take pictures for the purpose of selling them, placing them on a website in which you are anticipating upfront pay, or passive income from clicks on a blog, or other type of website. It is illegal to exploit a celebrity's likeness or image for money.

So how exactly do sites like TMZ get away with it?