Mike Tyson’s Tattooist Threatens To Stop Release Of The Hangover 2

Mike Tyson’s tattooist has sued Warner Bros over the tattoo on Ed Helms’ character in the upcoming The Hangover: Part II.

Award-winning tattoo artist, S. Victor Whitmill, calls the Tyson design “one of the most distinctive tattoos in the nation,” is asking for an injunction to stop the release of The Hangover 2 sequel, set U.S. release over Memorial Day weekend.

“When Mr. Whitmill created the Original Tattoo, Mr Tyson agreed that Mr. Whitmill would own the artwork and thus, the copyright in the Original Tattoo,” argues the complaint, filed Thursday in federal court in Missouri and obtained by THR. “Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. — without attempting to contact Mr. Whitmill, obtain his permission, or credit his creation — has copied Mr. Whitmill’s Original Tattoo and placed it on the face of another actor … This unauthorized exploitation of the Original Tattoo constitutes copyright infringement.”

Naturally, Warner Bros declined to comment on the suit.

I originally thought, that the claim had no ground, but Iron Mike signing rights to Whitmill puts a different light on the matter. Conversely, the fact that the tattoo is used in a comedy would indicate that Warner Bros could argue that it is nothing more then a parody, which would appear to be the real intent.

Of course, whatever the outcome, Whitmill’s name has now gained exposure to a much wider audience, which should do wonders for his business.

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Staralicious

Staralicious

Mike Tyson’s Tattooist Threatens To Stop Release Of The Hangover 2

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