*A federal judge has significantly reduced the $71 million verdict awarded to T.I. and Tameka “Tiny” Harris in their lawsuit against MGA Entertainment, trimming it to $17.9 million and prompting a new trial on punitive damages.
The ruling stems from the couple’s legal battle over the alleged misappropriation of their former girl group, OMG Girlz, whose likeness they argued was used in MGA’s “L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G.” doll line. Per TheWrap, in a 33-page decision issued by Judge James V. Selna in California’s Central District Court, the judge determined the evidence presented was not enough to justify $53.6 million in punitive damages.
“The court once again agrees that this evidence is insufficient to show willfulness or intent,” Judge Selna wrote, referencing internal communications and visual references used by MGA during the doll design process.
He added, “At best, this evidence shows that the designers saw a passing reference to the OMG Girlz and were negligent in not following up with the OMG Girlz having, themselves, been momentarily confused.”
While the court found that MGA’s designers were aware of the OMG Girlz when developing the dolls in December 2019, Selna concluded that T.I. and Tiny did not present “clear and convincing evidence” of deliberate copying.
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I caught up with T.I. today during a break in closing arguments in the OMG Girlz trial.
The jury could decide today if MGA Entertainment’s LOL Surprise OMG Dolls infringe the trade dress and misappropriate the likeness of Zonnique’s OMG Girlz music group. pic.twitter.com/1vM4TkD5Eh
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) September 20, 2024
“Nothing in the email thread provides clear and convincing evidence that [designer Blanche] Consorti or other designers knew of the OMG Girlz trade dress or willfully made use of that knowledge,” the decision stated.
The couple initially filed their lawsuit in 2020. In a three-week trial that concluded in September 2024, a jury found in their favor, awarding them $17.9 million in compensatory damages and $53.6 million in punitive damages.
“I mean, wow. They did more than I thought they would,” Tiny told Rolling Stone following the verdict. “I would have been happy with whatever. They blessed us more than beyond. We wanted to thank the jurors so bad, but we didn’t get the opportunity.”
T.I. said, “I think justice was served. I think it’s a testament to the relentlessness and resilience of my wife, daughter and nieces. We’re just happy we were able to come out on top and fight for creatives and our intellectual property that large corporations seem to think is just public domain and free for all to come and grab and use.”
The jury had determined that 13 out of more than 30 dolls infringed on the OMG Girlz’s trade dress. Seven of those dolls mirrored the group’s appearances at “very specific public events” or in promotional materials.
In his ruling, Judge Selna emphasized that while MGA’s behavior wasn’t “reprehensible,” the $53.6 million in punitive damages was excessive and unsupported by evidence of “intent, conscious disregard or willfulness.” He ruled that a fair punitive amount would be just $1.
Nonetheless, the court’s order allows the Harrises to reject the reduced damages and pursue a retrial focused solely on the punitive damages portion—an option they formally chose to pursue on Thursday.
“If in the end there is another mini-trial on just the punitive damages, we expect another jury will be similarly offended by MGA’s maliciousness and copying,” the couple’s legal team from Sheppard Mullin said in a statement.
Attorney John Keville added, “The court’s order confirms what the jury found, that there was more than sufficient evidence to find MGA wrongly misappropriated and infringed the OMG Girlz’ rights. Obviously, the Harrises and the OMG Girlz are very disappointed that the jury’s appropriate assessment and response to MGA’s willful and bad faith conduct was discounted and not given the same weight.”
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: T.I. Says He’s Retiring After Winning $71 Million OMG Girlz Lawsuit
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