Tattoo studio sues Take-Two Interactive for $1144000

Tattoo studio Solid Oak Sketches sues NBA 2K16 publisher, Take-Two Interactive over unauthorized reproduction of tattoo designs within their popular basketball games.

Solid Oak Sketches alleges that 2K Games was well aware that they needed to get licensing rights for these athletes’ tattoos, since they contacted them multiple times over it. They offered 2K a licensing fee of $ 1.1 million.

Solid Oak is demanding damages for using eight tattoo designs.

Many NBA players have tattoos on their arms and this is reflected accurately in NBA 2K16.

Unbelievably, tattoo artists have successfully sued video-game developers for using their ink without permission before. You can read the entire complaint below. Anxious that they might be party to a lawsuit, the NFL Players Association told players in 2014 that, in order for their tattoos to be represented on merchandise, including video games, they needed to get waivers from the artists.

On one hand, the complaint stems from original tattoo designs created by the tattoo artists which Solid Oak firmly believes should “easily satisfy” a standard for originality.

Believe it or not, this isn’t the first time something like this has happened in the gaming industry. Tattoo artist Victor Escobedo was awarded $22,500 for his lion tattoo that was portrayed on UFC fighter Carlos Condit without his permission in THQ’s “UFC Undisputed” game.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) handles the ball against Golden State Warriors guard Andre Iguodala (9), game four, NBA Finals June 11, 2015 at Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio Reuters. Share your thoughts with us in the comments.