Yuga Labs Settles BAYC Trademark Suit with Ripps, Cahen

Yuga Labs, the creator of the popular Bored Ape Yacht Club nonfungible token collection, has reached a settlement with artist Ryder Ripps and his business partner Jeremy Cahen, resolving a two-year trademark infringement lawsuit filed in a California federal court. The agreement, detailed in a court filing on Tuesday, permanently bars the defendants from using Yuga's trademarks, imagery, or related branding in any future projects, effectively shutting down their RRBAYC NFT collection.

The dispute began in June 2022 when Yuga Labs accused Ripps and Cahen of launching the RRBAYC project, which featured modified versions of Bored Ape characters and traits, to profit from consumer confusion. Yuga claimed the collection violated its intellectual property rights, leading to millions in unauthorized gains for the defendants through sales and royalties. Ripps and Cahen countered that their work was a form of satirical art intended as social commentary on the original Bored Ape Yacht Club, which they alleged contained hidden racist and antisemitic elements in its artwork.

In April 2023, U.S. District Judge John Walter ruled in Yuga's favor on key claims, ordering Ripps and Cahen to pay...