Tattoo artist Kat Von D didn't violate photographer's copyright of Miles Davis portrait, jury says
A jury has found that celebrity tattoo artist Kat Von D did not violate a photographer's copyright when she gave a friend a tattoo based on a portrait of Miles Davis
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A jury found Friday that celebrity tattoo artist Kat Von D did not violate a photographer's copyright when she used his portrait of Miles Davis as the basis for a tattoo she put on the arm of a friend.
The Los Angeles jury deliberated for just over two hours before deciding that the tattoo by the former star of the reality shows “Miami Ink” and “LA Ink” was not similar enough to photographer Jeffrey Sedlik's 1989 portrait of the jazz legend that she needed to have paid permission.
“I'm obviously very happy for this to be over," Von D, who inked her friend's arm with Davis as a gift about seven years ago, said outside the courtroom. “It's been two years of a nightmare worrying about this, not just for myself but for my fellow tattoo artists.”
The eight jurors made the same decision about a drawing Von D made from the portrait to base the tattoo on, and to a group of related social media posts on the accounts of Von D and her co-defendants, High Voltage Tattoo.
