
Who owns a tattoo, the bearer or the artist, or both?
It's a question that has few legal precedents, but is likely to become increasingly important, as more and more people get tattoos and intellectual property law tries to keep pace. The issue will go before a judge starting Monday, as Mike Tyson's tattoo artist, S. Victor Whitmill, sues Warner Brothers for depicting a tattoo similar to the famous boxer's in the new film 'Hangover 2'. On April 28, Mr Whitmill filed a motion in Federal District Court in St. Louis asking a judge to order Warner Brothers to stop using what he calls his 'tribal tattoo' in its posters or in the movie. That would effectively block the film from being released, or at least delay it until further editing. Mr Whitmill is also seeking monetary damages for what he deemed 'reckless copyright infringement'. Mr Whitmill used to live in Las Vegas but currently lives in rural Missouri, where he co-runs a tattoo shop called Paradox Studio and Gallery, which is on historic Route 66 in Waynesville.

Mr Tyson, who has a small role in the film, as he did in the 2009 hit 'Hangover', is not named in the suit. But lawyers say the proceedings are not merely frivolous, and could possibly delay release of the much anticipated film, now set for May 26.
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