Episode details
Available for over a year
She's one of the most famous tattoo artists in the world but now Kat Von D is taking part in a court case in California connected to the copyright of her tattoo designs. It's a case that could change the tattoo industry forever, trying to get to the heart of the question: Who owns a tattoo design? You might've noticed some athletes like LeBron James and Lionel Messi had their tattoo sleeves taken out of video games for that reason - because the game companies needed permission from the artists to put them in the game. Well now these issues of copyright are being addressed in court. Kat Von D's told jurors she鈥檚 inked thousands of tattoos based off photographs and never once sought a licensing agreement because she considers the practice 鈥渇an art". Her case is against Jeff Sedlik, who has filed a lawsuit accusing her of infringing on his copyright by using his iconic 1989 photo of jazz musician Miles Davis for a tattoo on her friend Blake Farmer, that she inked free-of-charge for him. Amber Van Overmeire, a tattoo artist in Belgium gave her thoughts on tattoo copyright. (Photo: Tattoo artist Kat Von D. Credit: Getty Images)
Programme Website