After 4 years and three jury trials, rapper T.I. and singer-songwriter Tameka “Tiny” Harris-Cottle have received an mental property battle in opposition to a serious U.S. toy producer.
A California federal court docket jury ordered on Monday (September 23) MGA Leisure Paying married {couples} greater than $71 millionafter discovering MGA Haha shock! OMG Doll assortment rips off dolls’ names, likenesses and commerce gown OMG ladya lady group composed of TI and Tiny.
Jury awards TI and Tiny awards $17.8 million precise loss plus $53.6 million Tiny mentioned the quantity of punitive damages was shocking.
“I imply, wow. They did greater than I believed. Tell rolling stones. “I’d be comfortable it doesn’t matter what. They’ve been a blessing to us past that. We wished very a lot to thank the jurors, however we did not have the possibility.
The case entails 32 MGA dolls Haha shock! OMG Though legal professionals for TI and Tiny narrowed the main target to the seven dolls they consider most clearly present their look is copied from pop band OMG Girlz, which launched in 2009.
OMG Girlz contains Baja “Magnificence” Rodriguez, Brawner “Child Doll” Womackand Tiny’s daughter, Zonik “Star” Prince.
Though the band disbanded in 2015, they just lately reunited and the trio entered the studio to document in 2023 lover boytheir first single in over a decade.
This yr, the group has partnered with XLandscape (of which Tiny is a member) and SWV as R&B Queen Tour.
MGA launched Haha shock! OMG 2019 doll sequence, though TI and Tiny explain They had been unaware of the doll line till followers introduced it to their consideration.
In 2020, after legal professionals for TI and Tiny issued a cease-and-desist order to the MGA, the toy firm sued the couple over claims they OMG Violating OMG Girlz’s dolls hurts their enterprise.
TI and Tiny countersued in 2021, accusing MGA of copyright infringement. The primary jury trial was held in early 2023 and ended with a federal Decide James V. Serna A mistrial was declared after jurors heard arguments that MGA’s actions amounted to “cultural appropriation” of black tradition – an argument TI and Tiny made of their grievance in opposition to MGA however which the decide barred from taking part within the jury trial .
A second trial, held later in 2023, resulted in victory for the MGA. Nonetheless, legal professionals for TI and Tiny had been later allowed to reopen the case. U.S. Supreme Court ruling – In an unrelated case – limits free speech defenses in circumstances of mental property infringement.
The third trial, which lasted over three weeks this month, proved acrimonious. MGA founder testifies earlier than jury Isaac Larian It’s believed that OMG Girlz performed no function within the improvement of the undertaking Haha shock! OMG Doll, and known as the three members of OMG Girlz “extortionists.”
“They’re those who got here to blackmail us, [they] Hopefully we don’t have the braveness to face up and converse for ourselves.
TI
In the meantime, a lawyer for MGA known as TI and Tiny’s lawsuit a “cash seize,” a cost TI denied in feedback after the decision.
“I feel this can be a bullying tactic to attempt to paint me because the unhealthy man, when in actual fact, they’re [bad] These,” he mentioned, as rolling stones. “They’re those who got here to blackmail us, [they] Hopefully we don’t have the braveness to face up and converse for ourselves.
exist Post on Instagram On Monday, Tiny mentioned she “shed tears of pleasure” on the verdict.
“To begin with, thanks very a lot to all of the judges! We wished to thanks in individual, however you left. To our shock [lega] Dream Staff you guys killed it! We owe you every thing!world music enterprise
