LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 03: Former boxer Mike Tyson performs during his one-man show “Mike Tyson UNDISPUTED TRUTH – Live on Stage” at Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino on March 3, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images)
Mike Tyson is a former professional boxer who is considered one of the greatest heavyweights in the history of the boxing sport. It’s birthday is June 30, 1966, and born in New York, Tyson gained fame for his intimidating and ferocious boxing style. In 1986, he became the youngest boxer to win a heavyweight championship in boxing history at just 20 years old.
Bradley and King agree that any license to Tyson would not extend to Warner Bros. recreating the tattoo on another person’s face, but Bradley concludes that Warner Bros.’ actions were nonetheless likely fair use, while King argues that the replication of the tattoo on Price’s face was satire rather than parody and thus not protected by fair use under Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc. Ultimately, Bradley writes that, even if a fair use defense failed, Whitmill would not have won significant damages, as he had only registered the copyright after the alleged infringement began and could thus only collect on compensatory damages.
Mike Tyson, one of the most famous and controversial boxers of all time, has left an indelible mark on the history of the sport. He began his career in 1985 and soon became the youngest ever world heavyweight champion, defeating Trevor Berbick in 1986 at the age of 20. Tyson was known for his powerful punching, aggressive style and swift knockouts that made him a crowd favorite.
The Mike Tyson tattoo has inspired countless fans to create their own tattoos, honoring their idol and the impact he has had on their lives. Tyson’s influence extends far beyond the ring, from boxing fans to tattoo aficionados.
He explained, “I got tattoos to make me look tough because I was so scrawny as a defense mechanism. The medusa on my face means ‘Don’t look at me the wrong way or this b**** is going to turn you into stone.’ Stop click-baiting me.”
In November 2013, Tyson stated “the more I look into the churches and mosques for god, the more I start seeing the devil”. But, just a month later, in a December 2013 interview with Fox News, Tyson said that he is very grateful to be a Muslim and that he needs Allah box in yahoo.com his life. In the same interview Tyson talked about his progress with sobriety and how being in the company of good people has made him want to be a better and more humble person.
While some may view Tyson’s tattoo as controversial or even unprofessional, it’s important to remember that self-expression takes many forms. For some, getting a tattoo is a way to express their creativity and personality, and for others, it’s a way to commemorate a special event or person in their life.
Warner Bros. asserted about 16 defenses. They acknowledged that the tattoos were similar but denied that theirs was a copy. They further argued that “tattoos on the skin are not copyrightable”. They reasoned that a human body is a useful article under 17 U.S.C. § 101 and thus not copyrightable. The question of a tattoo’s copyrightability had never been determined by the Supreme Court of the United States. Arguments in the alternative included that Tyson, by allowing them to use his likeness and not objecting to the plot device in The Hangover Part II, had given them an implied license, and that their use of the tattoo constituted fair use as parody because it juxtaposed Tyson as “the epitome of male aggression” with the “milquetoast” Price. Scholar David Nimmer, participating an expert witness for Warner Bros., argued that treating tattoos as copyrightable would violate the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution as a badge of slavery; Nimmer’s declaration was then excluded because it was a legal opinion.
Over the years, there have been rumors that Tyson was going to get the tattoo removed, but that’s not likely to happen. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, the boxer said he likes the ink. “A lot of stuff happened out of this tattoo, a lot of good stuff, Tyson said. “Other young athletes come to me and say, It’s because of you they call it the Mike Tyson.”
The fight was a split draw and the three former WBC Champion judges scored the fight as follows: Chad Dawson (76–76 draw), Christy Martin (79–73 for Tyson), and Vinny Pazienza (76–80 for Jones). Compubox numbers showed that Tyson outlanded Jones by a wide margin, and sportswriter Dan Rafael described Pazienza’s scorecard as ‘pure insanity’.
It wouldn’t be the first time Warner Bros. was accused of infringement in a movie. In a 1985 chase scene in Tim Burton’s Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, the studio featured a Godzilla character without permission. The Hollywood studio paid an undisclosed amount to rights-holder Toho after it was sued.
Whitmill, who created the original tattoo and registered the copyright, sued in April asking that a federal judge halt the release of the blockbuster comedy sequel because it prominently features the tattoo without permission. As we noted when the case was filed, copyrighted works are copyrighted works, no matter whether they are painted on canvases or walls or the bodies of former heavyweight champions.