Yuga Labs has dropped its case against Ryder Ripps and Jeremy Cahen, the creators of the RR/BAYC NFT collection, which copied the visual style of Bored Ape Yacht Club. The settlement was formalized in filings with a federal court in California, though the specific financial terms were not disclosed.
Under the court order terms, Ripps and Cahen are permanently barred from using Yuga Labs’ trademarks and imagery. The lawsuit was originally filed in 2022, with the company alleging that the defendants sold tokens imitating the original Bored Ape NFTs and earned millions of dollars by misleading buyers. Ripps and Cahen argued that their project was satire rather than a violation of intellectual property rights.
Two Court Decisions — Yet A Settlement In The End
The district court judge initially ruled in favor of Yuga Labs, awarding the company nearly $9M in damages and legal costs. However, the appellate court overturned that decision, stating that the question of whether buyers were actually misled should be decided by a jury. The settlement ultimately allowed both sides to avoid another round of litigation.