The Latest On Tattoo Lawsuit Involving WWE, 2K, And Randy Orton

The lawsuit against WWE, 2K Games, and Yukes regarding the recreation of Randy Orton's tattoos in the company's video games has officially kicked off. Tattoo artist Catherine Anderson, who is responsible for a number of Orton's tattoos from 2003 through 2008, alleges that the companies behind the WWE 2K series have been using her copyrighted work without permission.

Anderson first made WWE aware of the alleged infringement back in 2009. In response, the company reportedly offered the artist $450 to use the tattoos — an offer that Anderson declined. Anderson would go on to register copyrights on the artwork in 2018, about a month before she first filed the lawsuit.

Orton himself, though not a defendant, is set to be called as a witness in the jury trial sometime this week. The lawsuit alleges that Orton "does not have ownership in the copyrights asserted herein," claiming that he is unable to provide permission to use his tattoos in the game series, as Anderson is still the owner of the artwork despite it appearing on Orton's video game likeness. While a judge would later agree that Alexander's copyrights on the art were valid, the ongoing trial will determine whether Orton has control over whether or not they can be included in the game. As of now, the trial is expected to go on for five days before concluding.

As noted by PWInsider, this trial may have implications beyond WWE and its video game series. Sports games in general often recreate athletes' real tattoos, and the decision rendered here could lay down precedent that affects the industry at large moving forward.