The Oregon tattoo artist who inked NBA star Rasheed Wallace's arm is suing for copyright infringement because Rasheed's tatoo is featured prominently in a Nike TV and internet ad campaign.
According to the suit filed last week in U.S. District Court, former Trail Blazer Wallace approached Reed in 1998, saying he wanted an Egyptian-themed family design with a king and queen and three children and a stylized sun in the background. Reed researched the idea and came up with a design and put it on Wallace's arm. Reed said the $450 charge was a relatively small amount, but he expected to benefit from the exposure.
Wallace has one of the more distinctive tattoos in the NBA. Sports Illustrated for Kids used it in a feature asking readers to match each tattoo with the NBA player who wears it. But Reed claims he became aware last year of a Nike ad that centers on the tattoo and its creation. He claims the ad violates the copyright he holds to "the Egyptian Family Pencil Drawing."
Link (Thanks, tom brennan)
