Perez Hilton is fighting back against at least one paparazzi agency's claims of copyright infringement with a lawsuit of his own. Perez, aka Mario Lavandeira, yesterday filed an unfair competition suit against pap agency X17, claiming the husband-and-wife team (that would be Brandy and Francois Navarre) behind the site are using "illegal and unethical business practices" – that is, hiring undocumented workers to snap pics of celebs – that unfairly give them an advantage in the gossip blogging business. X17, of course, started its own "copycat blog" (as Perez's lawsuit claims) several months ago, where their "unlawful business practices" give them an (illegal?) leg up.

Perez, who just saw his website go offline briefly after his webhost dropped him, also appears to be the first to make one particular claim in his filings: that X17 "employ[s] photographers with criminal backgrounds and/or gang affiliations."

That little matter has long been known in the paparazzi business, but rarely discussed. In fact, whenever we've made mention of X17's suspicious employment practices, we get a phone call from their attorneys at Turner Green. (We've since become buds, or something.)

And when, during one exchange, we informed X17 that there is a documentary being made about them? They respond that reporting it is libelous. (Giggle.)

As you can see, it's a tough call to decide whose fence you want to be leaning against in this matter. In the meantime, we saved a seat on the bleachers for you.