WWE Will Have To Wait Even Longer To Fight Randy Orton Tattoo Lawsuit

WWE released their last main-line wrestling game two years ago. The 2020 version was famously plagued by bugs and said by many to be unplayable. Developer Visual Concepts went back to the drawing board after the dismal failures. It turns out that an even older game is also giving the company headaches.

The tattoo work on Randy Orton was done by Alexander between 2003 and 2008, is still the subject of a lawsuit. She believes that they are easily identified by his admirers and members of the public. WWE utilized her work for false sleeves and later featured her in a video game, and she believes she should be compensated for her efforts.

WWE, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., 2K Games, Inc., 2K Sports, Inc., Visual Concepts Entertainment, Yuke’s Co., Ltd., and Yuke’s LA Inc. were all scheduled to go to trial to defend themselves against a lawsuit filed by tattoo artist Catherine Alexander. The action was originally scheduled to go to trial on January 31, 2022, but it has been postponed once more.

Thanks to the present outbreak of the omicron coronavirus pandemic in this district, Judge Staci M. Yandle of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois (East St. Louis) postponed the hearing. She stated that a jury could not be safely impaneled and that the trial could not proceed as planned.

When the case goes to trial, the court will rule whether the defendants had the right to utilize Alexander’s work in the game as copyright fair use or whether Alexander has grounds to be compensated for her work’s usage. We shall keep you updated on this topic in the future.

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