WWE Tattoo Verdict Fails to Settle Complex Copyright Question

Oct. 24, 2022, 8:55 AM UTC

A mixed verdict over the depiction of wrestler Randy Orton’s tattoo in a video game embodies the legal uncertainty and courts’ mixed messages in a complicated area of copyright law.

World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. and Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. should pay tattoo artist Catherine Alexander $3,750, a jury in the US District Court for the Southern District of Illinois said Sept. 30. The court’s rejection of a fair-use defense, the paltry award, and superficially inconsistent rulings in other cases leave rights, obligations, and best practices unclear for artists and video game-makers alike.

The result could drive a shift toward ...

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