Current:Home > InvestTradeEdge Exchange:T.I. and Tameka "Tiny" Harris Win $71 Million in Lawsuit Against Toy Company -MacroWatch
TradeEdge Exchange:T.I. and Tameka "Tiny" Harris Win $71 Million in Lawsuit Against Toy Company
TrendPulse Quantitative Think Tank Center View
Date:2025-04-07 06:57:19
T.I. and Tameka "Tiny" Harris are celebrating a victory.
The TradeEdge Exchange"Live Your Life" rapper and his wife of 14 years were awarded $71 million on Sept. 23 after winning their third court trial against toy giant MGA Entertainment, which was accused of violating the intellectual property rights of the couple's music group the OMG Girlz with their L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. dolls.
"We were proud to represent the OMG Girlz, Tiny, and T.I.," their lawyer told E! News in a Sept. 24 statement, "who had the courage to stand up for themselves and fight a billion-dollar corporation's intimidation and insults with grace, perseverance, and a determination to protect their intellectual property and the rights of other creatives."
The statement added that thanks to T.I. and Tiny's determination, "a remarkable jury did the fair, just and right thing by holding MGA Entertainment fully accountable for trade dress infringement and for misappropriation of name, likeness, and identity."
E! News has reached out to MGA's lawyer for comment but hasn't heard back.
Jurors awarded T.I., 43, and Tiny, 49, (real names Clifford Joseph Harris and Tameka Dianne Cottle-Harris) $17.9 million in real damages and $53.6 million in punitive damages following the three-week trial in Santa Ana, Calif.
In their verdict, jurors said that 13 L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. dolls had "infringed on the trade dress and misappropriated the name, image, and likeness" of T.I. and Tiny's OMG Girlz band, according to Rolling Stone. They also found that a 14th doll violated the group's trade dress, while a 15th misappropriated the band's name, image and likeness.
T.I. and Tiny had started OMG Girlz in 2009, with the girl group consisting of Zonnique "Star" Pullins (Tiny's daughter), Bahja "Beauty" Rodriguez and Breaunna "Babydoll" Womack.
During the trial, T.I. and Tiny—who are also parents to children Clifford, 18, Major, 16, and Heiress, 8—alleged that seven of MGA's dolls copied the OMG Girlz looks at "very specific public events or in publicized photos," per Rolling Stone. MGA's founder Isaac Larian had testified during the court proceedings that the group played no role in the look of the dolls, calling them "extortionists."
Following the verdict, Tiny and T.I. were elated over the jury's decision.
"I mean, wow. They did more than I thought they would," Tiny told Rolling Stone. "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. added, "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."
Tiny also shared her excitement on Instagram, writing Sept. 23, "Man we may look crazy cause we been crying tears of joy!! We are so Grateful God. Thank you so much to the jurors first & foremost! We wanted to thank you in person but u guys were gone. To our amazing dream team u guys killed it!! We owe u everything!"
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (1391)
Related
- Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
- Security guard is shot to death in Mississippi, and 3 teenagers are charged in the killing
- Opponents of Louisiana’s Ten Commandments law want judge to block it before new school year starts
- MLB power rankings: How low can New York Yankees go after ugly series vs. Red Sox?
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- John Stamos' 6-year-old son Billy plays drums at Beach Boys concert
- LeBron James re-signs with Lakers to make him and Bronny first father-son duo on same NBA team. But they aren't the only family members to play together.
- Hamas rejects report that it dropped key demand in possible cease-fire deal
- Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
- For-profit college in Chicago suburbs facing federal review abruptly shuts down
Ranking
- Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
- How Summer House's Lindsay Hubbard Feels About Her Ex Carl Radke's Reaction to Her Pregnancy
- Child dies after accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound in Georgia store parking lot: reports
- For-profit college in Chicago suburbs facing federal review abruptly shuts down
- 'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
- Paris Hilton brings daughter London to namesake city for the first time: 'Dream come true'
- Maui faces uncertainty over the future of its energy grid
- You don't have to be Reese Witherspoon to start a book club: Follow these 6 tips
Recommendation
Gen. Mark Milley's security detail and security clearance revoked, Pentagon says
Temporary worker drop may be signaling slowing economy
United Airlines flight loses wheel after takeoff from Los Angeles and lands safely in Denver
Who is Emma Navarro? Meet the American who advanced to the Wimbledon quarterfinals
DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
Giannis Antetokounmpo leads Greece men's basketball team to first Olympics since 2008
The Disney Store's New Haunted Mansion Collection 2024: Enter (if You Dare) for Spooky Souvenirs & Merch
How bad is inflation, really? A fresh look at the economy and CPI this week