A California jury said rapper Cardi B did not violate a tattoo artist’s copyright by misusing his tattoo on her mixtape cover.
The jury answered “no” to the question: “Did Mr. Brophy prove by preponderance of evidence his claim that Cardi B, Washpoppin Inc, KSR Group LLC.”
The jury also answered “no” to whether she used Brophy’s likeness in violation, and “no” to whether Cardi B portrayed Brophy in a false light.
Cardi B was present for the verdict. She hugged Timm Gooden, the graphic artist who designed the mixtape cover.
Cardi is beaming as she hugs her attorneys. She hugged Timm Gooden the graphic artist who designed the cover. Her security guard told Shaft “that’s what I’m talking about.”
He tells a reporter: “we can talk to you now.”— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) October 21, 2022
Cardi wore a tan 3-piece suit with pointy toe heels and a silver Chanel handbag to court.
The Bronx rapper was sued for $5 million by Kevin Brophy, a tattoo artist who accused her of misusing his intricate tattoo on the cover of her 2016 Gangsta Bitch Music, Vol. 1 mixtape.
On Wednesday, Cardi B complained that Brophy has harassed her for money for 5 years. She also objected to Brophy saying her career took off because of his tattoo on her mixtape cover.
“That is an insulting allegation,” Cardi’s attorney, Peter J. Anderson, told the jury. He added, Cardi’s career “was already skyrocketing” when the mixtape was released.
“Does anyone really think Cardi conspired with her team saying, ‘OK we’re going to destroy someone’s life?'” Anderson said.
Brophy’s lawyer, Lawrence J. Conlan, denied the lawsuit was a money grab.
“It’s not a money grab, ladies and gentleman. This is a lawsuit,” Conlan told the jury. “This is an invasion of privacy. To call it a money grab sounds like it was something spun by the defendant’s PR team. This is a lawsuit about a serious issue: privacy rights.”
