Judge Rules in Tattoo Case that 'The Hangover: Part II' Can Hit Theaters On Schedule

Whew! That was a close one!

With "The Hangover: Part II" set to release on Thursday, many moviegoers were looking forward to this weekend. But due to the copyright case involving the use of Mike Tyson's famous face tattoo, there was a chance that the movie would be held up.

S. Victor Whitmill, who designed the tattoo that now rests on Mike Tyson's face, filed an injunction against "The Hangover: Part II" for using the same design on the face of Ed Helms' character in the movie. Whitmill argued that it was copyright infringement to use his design, and he has a strong case: he has all the proper paperwork and even had Tyson sign on to help protect the use of the tattoo.

Whitmill sought to have the release of the movie halted while the case was going on, but the federal judge presiding over the case ruled today that the movie can hit theaters as scheduled. Yay!

It seems a fair move: really, Whitmill's lawyers were probably only asking for the delay in order to bully Warner Bros. into giving up a huge settlement in order to keep the release on schedule. WB still has a tough case ahead of them and will probably end up settling eventually, but having the movie already out gives them much more bargaining power.