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Agreement Ends NFT Trademark Dispute Without a Jury Verdict
TL;DR
- Yuga Labs settled its long-running lawsuit against Ryder Ripps and Jeremy Cahen over the RR/BAYC project, ending a dispute that began in 2022.
- The settlement permanently bars Ripps and Cahen from using Yuga Labs’ trademarks and imagery, while the financial terms were not disclosed.
- The case had previously produced a nearly $9 million damages and legal fees award for Yuga Labs before an appeals court overturned that outcome and sent the dispute toward a jury trial.
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Yuga Labs has settled its long-running lawsuit against Ryder Ripps and Jeremy Cahen over the RR/BAYC project, ending a dispute that began in 2022 over whether the reuse of Bored Ape Yacht Club imagery was protected satire or trademark infringement. The settlement permanently bars Ripps and Cahen from using Yuga Labs’ trademarks and imagery, and the financial terms were not publicly disclosed.
Yuga Labs’ central claim was that the defendants sold lookalike NFTs that traded on Bored Ape Yacht Club’s brand recognition and confused buyers. Ripps and Cahen had argued that their work was a satirical or critical response to the original collection rather than a straightforward copy.
The settlement closed a case that had already shifted sharply in court. A district judge had initially ruled for Yuga Labs and awarded the company nearly $9 million in damages and legal fees. That outcome was later overturned by an appeals court, which said a jury should decide whether buyers were actually misled.
Settlement Replaces a Trial With a Final Restriction
By settling, both sides avoided a jury trial, leaving the dispute resolved in practical terms without a final jury verdict on the broader legal boundary between NFT parody and trademark infringement. The final confirmed result is the permanent restriction on further use of Yuga Labs’ protected branding and imagery by the defendants.
The outcome reinforces trademark limits around established NFT brands because the operative result is not a pending damages fight or an unresolved trial question, but a completed agreement that bars the defendants from reusing Bored Ape branding. The dispute centered on one of the most recognizable digital art brands to emerge during the NFT boom.
Bored Ape Yacht Club rose to prominence during the NFT market surge of 2021 and 2022. During that period, the broader NFT market’s capitalization reached $342.9 billion in April 2022 before later collapsing.
FAQ
What ended in the settlement?
The RR/BAYC dispute between Yuga Labs, Ryder Ripps, and Jeremy Cahen ended.
What are Ripps and Cahen barred from doing?
They are permanently barred from using Yuga Labs’ trademarks and imagery.
Were the settlement’s financial terms disclosed?
No. The financial terms were not publicly disclosed.
Did the case produce a final jury verdict?
No. The settlement ended the case before a jury trial.
This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.
