Pop culture tattoos and copyright

Branoic

I was just wondering something.

Lots of people have tattoos sourced from popular culture - superman or batman logos, star wars rebel alliance symbols, starfleet, tattoos copying those in Battlestar Galactica etc etc. A lot of these images would be protected by copyright. Does anyone know what the issues surrounding these types of tattoos are? Have any of the companies owning the copyright ever tried to do something about tattoos breaching copyright? If they were to go after anyone, would be the tattoo artist, the customer or both?

cadogs

I dunno but i'm ****ed if it's true cos Activision will be after my ass!! ha ha

Jammy

Unless your a high profile celeb I don't think they really mind!

It's not like their image is going to be in the media or anything. If they even found out I'd be astonished!

tread_softly

i've got a video game character plastered over my back and the OH has two manga characters from licenced pieces on his ribs.

as the above poster said, unless you're high profile, how will it even be brought to the attention of the copyright holders? and surely it's a testament to them that someone got their design or whatever permanently etched on them!

also, tite kubo and tetsuya nomura would have to chop off my feet if they have a problem!! :pac:

LD 50

wouldn't the artist/customer claim artistic license by saying that the tattoo looks similiar to their copyrighted image, but isn't actually it?

Star Lord

That wouldn't fly unless there was only a passing resemblance, and then you'd be unhappy with the messed up tattoo!

I can't see there being any issue with it TBH, you're getting an artists impression of the work done.

As said previously, unless you're high profile, I can't see there ever being a problem, and besides, it's not even something the companies would deal in, so wouldn't be able to make money from it!

To sum up: Unless you're going out torching peoples homes with a big McDonalds logo tattooed on your face, they wouldn't notice or care!

thecornflake

copyright ? , those companies should be paying the customers for advertising !

like that woman in america who put her face on ebay for a company to tattoo an advert on it

Thornography

thecornflake wrote: »

like that woman in america who put her face on ebay for a company to tattoo an advert on it

SOOO GOOD!

Hermmm maybe if you were a realy high profile celeb, and tried to sell someone the part of skin that the copyrighted tattoo is on, well maybe then you might need to split the profit?

Just a wild theory.

koneko

Any I've heard of before were happy about it and extremely flattered, but yeah I wonder about the legalities.

I'm in trouble, so.

laniepow

I wonder how much money they could sue you for on copyright!!!!