The release of upcoming comedy film The Hangover Part II may potentially be delayed as a rather unusual copyright infringement lawsuit has reportedly been filed against studio bosses.
Warner Brothers is being sued by S. Victor Whitmill, who is the tattoo artist responsible for boxer Mike Tyson’s distinctive facial inkings. Mr Whitmill claims that he invented the black tribal tattoo which appears down the left-hand side of the former heavy-weight’s face, and also owns the copyright. The tattoo artist accuses the studio of recreating the design in The Hangover Part II without his permission.
Mr Whitmill first spotted his tattoo design in the trailer for the Hangover 2; indeed, it features prominently on posters for the film on the face of actor Ed Helm. The artist has now filed a lawsuit against the Warner Brothers studio, which will no doubt have professional indemnity insurance in place to cover such claims.
The tattoo artist wants to block the use of the tattoo design in both the movie and the promotional material (trailers, posters etc.) for the Hangover Part II. He is also claiming unspecified damages from the Warner Brothers studio, which has yet to comment on the case.