The Footy Show calls a baby ugly, comparing the baby to announcer Peter Sterling.

Someone sent the look-a-like Facebook picture of the baby to the NRL Footy Show, a sports entertainment TV program focusing on Rugby league football. After the Footy show announcers called the baby "ugly," the furious parents are considering suing the Footy Show. But can they?

Michael and Melanie Richmond, from Avalon on Sydney's northern beaches, said they were "still in shock and dumbfounded" after a Facebook image of their firstborn baby daughter Bella was broadcast on Thursday's episode of The Footy Show without permission.

The controversy erupted after one of the show's panelists called the photograph of Bella "ugly," before commenting that she looked like league great and Channel 9 commentator Peter Sterling.

The Footy Show has posted a statement on Facebook saying it has spoken to the family of the baby labeled "ugly" on national TV and no harm was intended.

"We did speak to the family on Friday and will do so again today to reassure them we never intended to cause hurt to them or their child and of course apologize if it did."

However, the outraged parents cannot let the insult on their baby go. Mr. Richmond said he and his wife would be consulting with lawyers today.

"We were going to let it go but we can't. Someone has put our baby on TV. We want to get some feedback on what our legal options are now."

Mr. Richmond said the image of his daughter, taken last year, was posted on his wife's Facebook account.

"I understand how Facebook works and that when you share photos they become public and there's nothing you can do," he said.

"The fact is that somewhere, somehow, a producer has gotten a photo of my daughter and made the decision to put it on television. I know it's supposed to be tongue in cheek but she's just a baby. It's not cool."

Mr. Richmond is right about one thing. Once you put a picture on Facebook ANYBODY can use it, even after it has been deleted, as expressed on the legal site https://www.nyccounsel.com/business-blogs-websites/who-owns-photos-and-videos-posted-on-facebook-or-twitter/

"You may be shocked to find out that once you post on these sites, that although you still "own" the photograph, you grant the social media sites a license to use your photograph anyway they see fit for free AND you grant them the right to let others use you picture as well! This means that not only can Twitter, Twitpic and Facebook make money from the photograph or video (otherwise, a copyright violation), but these sites are making commercial gain by licensing these images, which contains the likeness of the person in the photo or video (otherwise, a violation of their "rights of publicity").

Facebook

Under Facebook's current terms (which can change at anytime), by posting your pictures and videos, you grant Facebook "a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any [IP] content that you post on or in connection with Facebook ("IP License").

This IP License ends when you delete your IP content or your account unless your content has been shared with others, and they have not deleted it." Beware of the words "transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license." This means that Facebook can license your content to others for free without obtaining any other approval from you!

You should be aware that once your photos or videos are shared on Facebook, it could be impossible to delete them from Facebook, even if you delete the content or cancel your account (the content still remains on Facebook servers and they can keep backups)! So, although you may be able to withdraw your consent to the use of photos on Facebook, you should also keep in mind that if you share your photos and videos with Facebook applications, those applications may have their own terms and conditions of how they use your creation! You should read the fine print to make sure you are not agreeing to something that you don't want to have happen."

Although The Footy Show is apologizing out of a moral code, they are in their legal right to post the picture and even taunt the baby on television.

Do you think new Facebook laws should be in place to protect people from this type on ridicule? Or is The Footy Show just joking around and the parents should just chuckle and get over it?