A tattoo artist’s request to have the release of The Hangover Part II delayed while he sues studio Warner Brothers for copyright infringement of the famous face tattoo he created for boxer Mike Tyson has been denied by a St. Louis federal judge today.
S. Victor Whitmill was hoping that a federal judge would order a halt to the film’s release which is scheduled for this Thursday. Warner Brothers lawyers argued during a four hour session yesterday that doing so would cause irreparable financial harm after spending some $80 million to advertise the film. They also argued that Tyson appeared in the first Hangover film in 2009 sporting the same tattoo without any objection from Williams.
In a statement released after the judge’s ruling, the studio stated –
We are very gratified by the Court’s decision which will allow the highly anticipated film ‘The Hangover Part II’ to be released on schedule this week around the world. Plaintiff’s failed attempt to enjoin the film in order to try and extract a massive settlement payment from Warner Bros. was highly inappropriate and unwarranted.
