InkedMag
  • Articles
    • Top Stories
    • Culture
    • Art
    • Music
    • Digital Cover
    • Events
  • Shop
    • Subscriptions
    • InkedShop
  • Tattoo Shops
  • INKED COVER GIRL
  • Company
    • About
    • Contact
    • SUBSCRIPTION
    • Newsletter
    • Media Kit
  • Policies
    • DMCA
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
InkedMag
  • Top Stories
  • Culture
  • Art
  • Music
  • Events
  • Store
  • Digital Cover
  • INKED COVER GIRL
  • Tattoo Shops

Newsletter

Inked newsletter

"*" indicates required fields

This field is hidden when viewing the form

Next Steps: Sync an Email Add-On

InkedMag

Inked Mag

June 7th, 2019

Share Now
0
0
0

So, Who Actually Owns Your Tattoo?

Debates like Mike Tyson's tattoo artist vs "The Hangover" movies, and Lebron James' artist vs eSports games, made us ask some tattooers to weigh in.

One of the most famous tattoo copyright cases involved Mike Tyson’s tattoo artist, S. Victor Whitmill, who filed a case against Warner Bros. for using his design on Ed Helms’ character in “The Hangover.” While the dispute was “amicably resolved” – according to the Warner Bros. spokesman, Paul McGuire – the copyright issue is still huge.

Similarly, video games are under copyright heat.

Jimmy Hayden, the Cleveland Heights tattoo artists who tattooed LeBron James, Tristan Thompson, Kyrie Irving, and Shaquille O’Neal, has been pushing for a lawsuit against NBA 2K creators for years. The Take-Two Interactive Software game makers had copied the players’ tattoos on their computer-generated versions, with the thought that the ink was the players’ property. But the debate continues. Are the “property rights” the tattoo artists’?

With eSports aside, athletes are also stuck between tattoo sponsorship contradictions and fines while their on the court. Brought to mainstream attention with JR Smith’s “Supreme” logo tattoo, the NBA threatened to fine him unless he covered it up, while not threatening players with the Nike “Jumpman” logo ink (*cough* Marcin Gortat.) So does the league own the players, whose inked bodies are owned by their tattoo artists?

With athletes caught in the crossfire between their tattoo artists and video game creators, and directors allowed a loose “creative license” for copying a tattooer’s design… who owns what, and who gets a say?

We asked tattoo artists to weigh in.

Tattoo Artists Answer: Who Owns Your Tattoo?

Editor's Picks

News Content
Paul Booth Illustrates Cover for Pantera Graphic Novel

The revered tattoo artist created a cover for a graphic novel celebrating the 30th anniversary of “Vulgar Display of Power”

News Content
Scary Spider Tattoos

Spiders are terrifying, yet for some reason people sure do love to get tattoos of them

News Content
Artist Spotlight: Ivan Justice

Ivan Justice is a master of black-and-grey portraiture

More From News Content

Why Do Tattoos and Single Malts Share the Same Crowd?
July 23, 2025
The Tattoo Artist Who Turned a Drunk Rabbit into Tequila’s Spirit Animal
July 22, 2025
Tequila Day
Tequila Bottles That Look Like They Belong in a Tattoo Studio
July 21, 2025
Tattoo Goo Hero
Tattoo Goo’s Pro Foam Soap Redefines Tattoo Cleansing for Artists Who Prioritize Skin Health
July 18, 2025
Show your Ink Fashions
Show Your Ink Fashions Brings Custom Style to Tattoo Culture
July 15, 2025

Recommended For You

INKED Recommends
The Tattoo Artist Who Turned a Drunk Rabbit into Tequila’s Spirit Animal
ANYMA - INKED MAG Celebrities
The Rise of Anyma
Tequila Day Culture
Tequila Bottles That Look Like They Belong in a Tattoo Studio
Heartless Ink Banner Art
Bridging Classical Art and Modern Tattooing
earthlite-tattoo
InkedMag

QUICK LINKS

  • Top Stories
  • Culture
  • Art
  • Music
  • Events
  • Store
  • Tattoo Shops
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • SUBSCRIPTION
  • INKED COVER GIRL
  • MEDIA KIT
  • DMCA
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • TERMS & CONDITIONS

Input your search keywords and press Enter.