Rapper Cardi B was back in court for a copyright lawsuit on Wednesday. This time she is facing a tattoo artist who accused her of using his likeness for a mixtape cover without his permission.
Kevin Michael Brophy sued the rapper for copyright-infringement of his likeness. He is seeking $5 million in damages for his pain and suffering.
Brophy’s attorney argued that Cardi’s graphics artist attempted to circumvent Brophy’s rights by pasting his tattoo on another man’s back.
Attorney A. Barry Cappello said photo-editing software was used to copy Brophy’s large back tattoo, which has appeared in tattoo magazines.
Cappello said the tattoo was superimposed onto the back of a male model on the 2016 Gangsta B-tch Music Vol. 1 mixtape cover.
The artwork shows a tattooed man from behind with his head wedged between Cardi’s legs while she gulps from a beer bottle.
Cardi said that her team used only a “small portion” of the tattoo without her knowledge. She is expected to testify during the trial.
The record label usually has the final approval of the artwork.
