The artist, S. Victor Whitmill, claims in his lawsuit that he was never "asked for permission for, and has never consented to, the use, reproduction or creation of a derivative work based on his original tattoo," and is looking to siphon cash from the studio and delay this weekend's opening of the flick.
"Using the tattoo in the movie is simply part of the joke. I believe Rasheed Wallace's tattoo artist successfully settled a copyright infringement suit against the NBA when the tattoo appearedin their ads," entertainment attorney Yemi Adegbonmire told us. Regarding a settlement in the 'Hangover' case, Adegbonmire added, "Here I would imagine that the court will lean in favor
of the copyright holder for a few reasons: First, the design is registered. The original 'Hangover' grossed over $466 million globally.
