T.I. and Tiny Harris Win Massive $71M Lawsuit Against MGA Entertainment Over OMG Girlz Dolls

T.I. and Tiny Harris Win Massive $71M Lawsuit Against MGA Entertainment Over OMG Girlz Dolls

By Marcus Stevenson

December 15, 2024 at 08:34 PM

T.I. and Tameka "Tiny" Harris, along with the OMG Girlz, have won a significant $71 million judgment against toy manufacturer MGA Entertainment in a federal court case in Santa Ana, California. The verdict includes $17.8 million in real damages and $53.6 million in punitive damages.

The unanimous ruling found that MGA Entertainment violated intellectual property rights by copying the likeness and trade dress of the Atlanta-based OMG Girlz group in their L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. line of dolls. Seven dolls were specifically identified as infringing, with additional dolls found to copy other artists including Lady Gaga and Beyoncé.

Group celebrating a legal victory

Group celebrating a legal victory

This successful verdict came after two previous attempts. The first trial ended in a mistrial due to barred testimony about cultural appropriation, while the second initially favored MGA Entertainment. A Supreme Court ruling in June 2023 enabled a retrial, emphasizing the importance of consumer confusion in infringement cases.

The OMG Girlz, formed in 2009 by T.I. and Tiny, includes members Zonnique "Star" Pullins, Bahja "Beauty" Rodriguez, and Breaunna "Babydoll" Womack. All group members testified during the trial.

The plaintiffs' attorney, John R. Keville, advocated for additional penalties between $35-72 million to discourage future infringement. MGA's counsel argued that any additional penalties should be limited to $500,000-1 million, noting that the initial $17 million verdict already covered all profits from the infringing dolls.

OpenAI logo against black backdrop

OpenAI logo against black backdrop

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