The lawsuit was brought up because of the tattoo that was featured on the face of Ed Helms character. The tattoo artist who did the infamous face tattoo for Mike Tyson claimed copyright infringement against Warner Bros. at the end of April. While the case will move forward, the injunction to stop the film's release was declined.
The judge for the case said that the tattoo artist, S. Victor Whitmill, does have "a strong likelihood of succeeding on the merits of this case." Michael A. Kahn, the lawyer for Whitmill, said, "While we are disappointed that the motion was denied, we are quite pleased by Judge Perry's findings. … Judge Perry recognized copyright law protects tattoos and that Warner Bros. had no permission to use Mr. Whitmill's artwork in the movie. We look forward to further vindicating our client's rights at trial in the near future, including a permanent injunction preventing further distribution of the movie."
Warner Bros. released a statement saying, "We are very gratified by the Court's decision which will allow the highly anticipated film, 'The Hangover Part II' to be released on schedule this week around the world. Plaintiff's failed attempt to enjoin the film in order to try and extract a massive settlement payment from Warner Bros. was highly inappropriate and unwarranted."
