Kat Von D Tattoo Copyright Win to Face Full 9th Circuit Review

June 9, 2026, 7:48 PM UTC

Celebrity tattoo artist Kat Von D’s appellate win in a copyright suit over her use of a photographer’s Miles Davis portrait to tattoo her friend with the jazz legend will be reviewed by a full panel of the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

The court granted Jeffrey Sedlik’s petition for en banc review Tuesday, vacating a three-judge panel’s opinion that upheld a jury verdict finding Von D didn’t infringe the photograph of Davis she traced to create the tattoo because the works aren’t “substantially similar.”

  • The Ninth Circuit judges in January affirmed the verdict based on existing ...

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