T.I.’s recent $71 million lawsuit victory against toy manufacturer MGA Entertainment has been reduced by a federal judge to just $17.8 million, per hiphophero.com.
US District Judge James Selna issued the preliminary ruling on January 6, determining there was insufficient evidence to support claims that MGA directly copied the designs of T.I.’s girl group, OMG Girlz.
The legal battle, which has been ongoing since January 2023, centres around allegations that MGA’s ‘LOL Surprise! OMG’ toy line inappropriately replicated the image and likeness of the OMG Girlz group. T.I. and his wife, Tiny, claimed the toys were based on the group’s appearances at public events.
“Upon consideration of the evidence, the Court grants disgorgement of profits of $17,872,252 under common law misappropriation but does not award punitive damages,” Judge Selna stated in the court documents. The ruling effectively eliminates the $53.6 million in punitive damages that had been awarded in September.
The case has faced several twists and turns, including an initial dismissal after testimony regarding cultural appropriation was barred. Following a Supreme Court intervention that allowed a retrial, the couple secured their initial victory in September 2024.
Prior to this latest ruling, T.I. had expressed strong feelings about the case to Rolling Stone, stating, “[They were] trying to paint me as the bad guy when really, they were the [bad] ones. They were the ones that came and ripped us off, and [they] expected us to not have the audacity to stand up and speak for ourselves.”
The reduction in damages marks a significant shift in what had been celebrated as a major victory for creative rights. Tiny had previously thanked the jurors for “believing in what we said” and praised their ability to recognise the truth in their story. T.I. had characterised the original verdict as “a testament to the relentless and resilience of my wife, daughter and nieces.”
