News Summary

• She said in her experience, the photographers who see her tattoos consider it a “compliment” when someone chooses “to carve” a version of their work “onto their skin permanently.” Von D said she never once considered it copyright infringement..
• He said he also “went in and placed his fingers exactly in that arc to represent musical notation,” adding, “I was building subliminal things in.” A professional photographer and adjunct college professor, Sedlik said he makes much of his living from licensing his work..
• “I was trying to bring that in from the album artwork, to bring some of that movement in.” She agreed the finger arrangement, posing, and perspective of her tattoo mirrored Sedlik’s photo, but she said her shading added new shadows and highlights..
• And she doesn’t try, the tattoo artist said, “I do my own rendition.” Allen walked Von D through a series of posts on her social media accounts where she promoted commercial endeavors including her cosmetics line, books, and shoe designs..
• She said Farmer, a lighting director who worked with her on shoots for her former cosmetics line, was a big fan of Davis and supplied her with a copy of the reference photo that she used..
• The jurors hearing the case will have to decide whether Von D’s reproduction is protected by the “fair use” doctrine that allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission..