Yuga Labs has settled its lawsuit against artist Ryder Ripps and Jeremy Cahen, ending a two-year dispute over their alleged copycatting of Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs. The agreement resolves claims that Ripps and Cahen’s RR/BAYC collection, which reused Bored Ape imagery, constituted trademark infringement rather than satire.
The settlement, terms of which were not disclosed, would permanently bar Ripps and Cahen from using Yuga’s trademarks and imagery. Yuga Labs, creator of the highly recognizable Bored Ape brand, sued in 2022, alleging the defendants earned millions by confusing buyers with their lookalike tokens. The defendants maintained their work was a satirical response to the NFT collection.
An earlier ruling had awarded Yuga Labs nearly $9 million, but an appeals court later mandated a jury trial to determine if buyers were actually misled. This settlement averts that judicial proceeding.