T.I. and Tamika “Tiny” Harris have just scored a lucrative win in the court.
The Atlanta couple’s week started off right on Monday after they won over $71 million in their lawsuit against toy company MGA Entertainment, according to Forbes. They claimed that the company copied the likeness of their girl group, the OMG Girlz. They were awarded $17.8 million in real damages for the profit the company made off of the dolls, and for punitive damages, they received $53.6 million.
Source: Paras Griffin / Getty
Punitive damages are typically financial compensation used to punish a defendant for wrongful or malicious conduct.
Speaking to RollingStone on the win, Tiny said, “I mean, wow. They did more than I thought they would. 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.”
Out of 32 dolls from the L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. line, the jury found that seven infringed on the trade dress of the OMG Girlz – a group that was founded by Tiny in 2009 with Bahja Rodriguez, Breaunna Womack and Zonnique Pullins, Tiny’s eldest daughter, as its members.
Source: Derek White / Getty
According to the International Trademark Association, trade dress is the overall commercial image (look and feel) of a product or service that indicates or identifies its source and distinguishes it from those of others.
The OMG Girlz began to climb around 2012 after the teenage girl group released their singles Gucci This and Where the Boys At. But in 2015, the trio called it quits and went their separate ways. Since then, they’ve gotten back together and released their single Lover Boy in 2023. From then to now, the girls have been consistent with their group’s vibrant appearance. They typically wear bright-colored hairstyles, often of pink, blue, and purple extensions paired with bright-colored lipstick.
In 2019, four years after the OMG Girlz originally disbanded, MGA dropped their L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. doll series, which included several dolls with colorful hair and vivacious outfits. A year later, the Harris’ sent a cease and desist, which MGA challenged with a lawsuit. The Harris, their record labels, and the OMG Girlz responded with a countersuit.
This was the third trial between the artists and MGA Entertainment because the first two ended in a mistrial and an appeal, respectively.
During this three-week long trial, the MGA counsel attempted to argue against the allegations of copying the band’s look and even claimed that the group suffered no harm or loss in business opportunities. However, Harris’ attorney argued otherwise by proving that several individuals who purchased the dolls did it with the thought that the OMG Girlz were affiliated.
While this was a great win for Tiny, T.I., and the OMG Girlz, the fight may not be finished as the toy company can still appeal.
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