These days anything can be turned into a meme but you better be careful whose pic you use to get laughs 'cos you might actually get sued for it.

Or maybe just don't use the pic of Chinese actor Ge You, 65, who has successfully sued 544 companies in the past six years over the rights to his famous "Ge You Lying Down" meme.

For those who don't know, the photo used in the infamous "Ge You Lying Down" meme, which sees the actor looking dejected and lying on a sofa, was taken from his 1993 sitcom I Love My Family.

According to Chinese media, after the meme went viral in 2016, the actor was unhappy that his picture was used without his consent as he felt that it was a breach of his rights.

He then went on to sue 544 companies for copyright infringement. 

Of the 544 lawsuits, Ge You won all but two, which means he had a 99.6 per cent success rate.

Not only did the 542 companies that lost to Ge You apologise to the actor, they also had to compensate him financially, a sum that totaled a whopping 7.6mil yuan (S$1.47mil).

Photos: chinapress