Artists Ryder Ripps and Jeremy Cahen have had their counterclaims dismissed in their lawsuit against Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) creator Yuga Labs. The court order requires Ripps and Cahen to pay about $9 million in restitution and other statutory damages.
In April 2023, Yuga Labs won a lawsuit against Ripps and Cahen for copyright violations related to unauthorized versions of the BAYC Non-Fungible Token (NFT). Ripps and Cahen have launched the Ryder Ripps BAYC (RR/BAYC) collection under the BAYC brand.
Yuga Labs was originally ordered to pay $1.57 million in damages and legal costs. But a recent court filing on Feb. 2 showed Ripps and Cahen’s counterclaims were dismissed and their fines increased by about $9 million, including legal and expert witness fees.
The court also directed them to destroy any RR/BAYC NFTs they own or provide them to Yuga Labs. Cahen announced his intention to appeal the decision to California’s 9th Circuit Court.
Destruction
On Saturday, a federal court issued a final ruling against me in my lawsuit against YugaLabs.
Total Judgment: $9,112,496.50
(Note: My name was misspelled on the order.)
We appeal this finding to the Ninth Circuit Court of California.
The case is ongoing. ✊ pic.twitter.com/fHcEsbBL6a
– Pauly (@Pauly0x) February 3, 2024
Ripps and Cahen filed suit against Yuga Labs for declaratory judgment of lack of emotional distress and defamation. A judge upheld Yuga’s claims of misrepresentation of origin and cybersquatting and imposed a multi-million dollar fine. You must also give up all social media accounts related to RR/BAYC NFTs and smart contracts.
This ruling marks an important development in the ongoing legal battle between artists and NFT creators and highlights the importance of intellectual property rights in the NFT space.