We've heard of ink on a contract breaking a movie, but ink on a face? S. Victor Whitmill, the award-winning tattoo artist who gave Mike Tyson his distinctive facial tattoo, is suing Warner Bros. over the similar-looking tat on Ed Helms' character in the upcoming The Hangover Part II.
Whitmill is asking for an injunction to stop the release of the high-profile comedy sequel. The complaint, filed last Thursday in a Missouri federal court, argues that when the "Original Tattoo" was created, "Mr. Tyson agreed that Mr. Whitmill would own the artwork and thus, the copyright in the Original Tattoo."
According to the report, also attached to the lawsuit itself are several important documents, including Whitmill's copyright registration and a signed release by Mike Tyson granting exclusive rights. Who knew you could even trademark a tattoo?
The Hangover 2, starring Helms, Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, and Jamie Chung, is out on May 26.
[via The Hollywood Reporter]
