For me the copyright issue boils down to who created the original image. If the tattoo artist created an original design they should hold the copyright (just as and artist holds rights to prints/reproduction of their original creations). However if the customer presents a design to the tattoo artist, or the design is significantly generic (like letters/numbers in common font styles) then I see no legal claim as it is not their original work. In my opinion Lebron's child's face was a piece that took significant artistic undertaking by the artist to create that image so it can be copyrighted, however his mother's name is in a generic script which was not created by the artist so there should be no copyright there.
Randy Orton had this issue:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/darrenheitner/2018/04/18/new-tattoo-copyright-infringement-case-filed-by-artist-who-inked-wwe-wrestler-randy-orton/#4850a43d4edb
Also I believe Brock Lesnar did as well.
For me the copyright issue boils down to who created the original image. If the tattoo artist created an original design they should hold the copyright (just as and artist holds rights to prints/reproduction of their original creations). However if the customer presents a design to the tattoo artist, or the design is significantly generic (like letters/numbers in common font styles) then I see no legal claim as it is not their original work. In my opinion Lebron's child's face was a piece that took significant artistic undertaking by the artist to create that image so it can be copyrighted, however his mother's name is in a generic script which was not created by the artist so there should be no copyright there.
Randy Orton had this issue:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/darrenheitner/2018/04/18/new-tattoo-copyright-infringement-case-filed-by-artist-who-inked-wwe-wrestler-randy-orton/#4850a43d4edb
Also I believe Brock Lesnar did as well.
For me the copyright issue boils down to who created the original image. If the tattoo artist created an original design they should hold the copyright (just as and artist holds rights to prints/reproduction of their original creations). However if the customer presents a design to the tattoo artist, or the design is significantly generic (like letters/numbers in common font styles) then I see no legal claim as it is not their original work. In my opinion Lebron's child's face was a piece that took significant artistic undertaking by the artist to create that image so it can be copyrighted, however his mother's name is in a generic script which was not created by the artist so there should be no copyright there.