Mike Tyson's Tattoo Artist Sues 'The Hangover: Part II,' Hopes to Stop Release

Copyright infringement lawsuits are a dime a dozen, especially when it comes to Hollywood. But I don't think I've ever seen one about a face tattoo before.

S. Victor Whitmill, the man who designed and drew Mike Tyson's famous face tattoo, is suing Warner Bros. over their use of the tattoo on Ed Helms' face in "The Hangover: Part II."

Whitmill actually copyrighted the tattoo and had Mike Tyson sign to it, ensuring that no one else could use that tattoo design. The lawsuit argues that in copying the Tyson tattoo and putting it on Helms' face, Warner Bros. infringed on Whitmill's copyright.

This is one to watch, as it seems Whitmill has a very solid argument. He has all the documents, and sure enough the tattoo on Ed Helms' face is almost identical to the original Tyson tattoo.

Of course, it's a purposeful similarity, as the face tattoo for Helms' character is a reference to Tyson, who appeared in the first "Hangover" movie. That will either win or lose the case for Warner Bros. On one hand, they can't argue that the similarity is coincidental. But on the other hand, they could argue that the use of the tattoo is parody, which means it would be fair use (that's how Weird Al Yankovic gets away with what he does).

If WB loses, they'll either have to pay Whitmill a bunch of money, or else use CGI to change the tattoo on Stu's face. Which one will end up being cheaper, do you suppose?