• Yuga Labs won a legal victory in its trademark infringement case against Ryder Ripps and Jeremy Cahen.
• The duo had created an NFT collection containing copies of Bored Ape that they claimed was satirical and critical.
• A federal judge declared that Yuga Labs is entitled to an injunction and damages from the duo.
Yuga Labs Wins Copyright Case
Yuga Labs, creator of the famous Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) NFT collection, has claimed legal victory in its trademark infringement case against Ryder Ripps and Jeremy Cahen. A federal judge, in a pre-trial summary judgment, declared that Yuga Labs is entitled to an injunction and damages from the duo. Yuga Labs described the court judgment as not a just triumph for them but “a win for the entire Web3 industry”.
Information on Infringement
The RR/BAYC NFT collection is a creation that contains identical copies of Bored Apes and used marketing material similar to that of the Bored Ape Yacht Club. According to Ripps and Cahen, the RR/BAYC NFT collection is merely a satirical and critical response to Yuga Labs. Interestingly, it appears that some parts of the NFT community share these sentiments about the Bored Ape collection. However, BAYC’s creators have never hesitated to shut down these claims, which they refer to as “conspiracies”.
Start of Legal Action
Yuga Labs began legal action back in June 2022, filing a trademark infringement lawsuit against Ryder Ripps and his associate. The allegations claim they deceived buyers by selling NFTs that were falsely equivalent to the Bored Ape collection under the guise of satire, while also causing harm to the reputation of Bored Ape Yacht Club with their accusations.
Judge’s Ruling
The U.S. District Court in California found, on April 21, that Yuga Labs is the rightful owner of the BAYC trademarks, which are legitimate and enforceable. Moreover, it was determined that Ryder Ripps and Jeremy Cahen utilized these trademarks without the consent of Yuga Labs, potentially causing confusion amongst potential buyers looking to purchase an authentic Bored Ape NFT.
Defense Argument Rejected
Ryder Ripps and Jeremy Cahen had previously argued that their use of these trademarks falls under fair use or artistic expression due to being part of parody or satire pieces; however Judge F Walter ruled otherwise stating their use is not protected as such due to lack evidence proving such statement . Damages To Be Decided At Trial Althoughthe court made