Forgiveness or Permission?: What LeBron James' Copyright Infringement Defense Win Means

The case has implications for both the tattoo and video game industries.

April 29, 2024 at 03:21 PM

5 minute read

Analysis

By Alex Anteau

The original version of this story was published on National Law Journal

What You Need to Know

An artist who tattooed LeBron James sued 2K Games for including the tattoos as part of James' character model without getting the artists permission.
However, the jury found in favor of James, reasoning he had an implied license to art on his body.
This is the latest decision in a relatively new area of case law clarifying when tattoo artists do and don't have copyrights to their designs.

A Northern District of Ohio jury recently held that people with tattoos have an implied license to include their body art as part of their appearance when depicted in video games, further drawing the line between infringement and noninfringement in tattoo copyright claims.

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