Yuga Labs Settles Long-Running Trademark Lawsuit with Ryder Ripps Over Bored Ape NFTs

Yuga Labs settled its trademark lawsuit against artist Ryder Ripps and partner Jeremy Cahen in April 2026, ending a dispute that began in 2022 over the RR/BAYC NFT collection. The case centered on whether Ripps and Cahen's reuse of Bored Ape Yacht Club imagery constituted protected satire or trademark infringement that confused buyers. A district judge initially awarded Yuga Labs nearly $9 million in damages, but an appeals court overturned the ruling and ordered a jury trial to determine if consumers were actually misled. The undisclosed settlement avoids that trial and includes proposed orders permanently barring Ripps and Cahen from using Yuga Labs' trademarks.

Settlement Terms and Permanent Restrictions

• ▪Proposed court orders would permanently bar Ryder Ripps and Jeremy Cahen from using Yuga Labs' trademarks and imagery.
• ▪The settlement between Yuga Labs and Ryder Ripps and Jeremy Cahen avoids a jury trial.
• ▪The terms of the settlement between Yuga Labs and Ryder Ripps and Jeremy Cahen were not disclosed.
• ▪Yuga Labs settled its lawsuit against artist Ryder Ripps and Jeremy Cahen over their RR/BAYC NFT collection in April 2026.

Legal Battle History and Court Rulings

• ▪The Yuga Labs lawsuit against Ryder Ripps and Jeremy Cahen was a two-year dispute.
• ▪Yuga Labs sued Ryder Ripps and Jeremy Cahen in 2022 over the RR/BAYC NFT collection.
• ▪A district judge initially awarded Yuga Labs nearly $9 million in damages and fees against Ryder Ripps and Jeremy Cahen.
• ▪An appeals court overturned the district judge's ruling that awarded Yuga Labs nearly $9 million in damages.
• ▪The appeals court ruled that a jury should decide whether buyers were actually misled by the RR/BAYC NFT collection.

Core Dispute: Satire vs. Trademark Infringement

• ▪Bored Ape Yacht Club became one of the most recognizable NFT brands during the NFT market's peak.
• ▪Ryder Ripps and Jeremy Cahen argued their RR/BAYC work was a satirical response to the Bored Ape Yacht Club collection.
• ▪The RR/BAYC NFT collection reused Bored Ape Yacht Club imagery.
• ▪The dispute centered on whether the RR/BAYC project was satire or trademark infringement.
• ▪Yuga Labs claimed Ryder Ripps and Jeremy Cahen sold lookalike tokens in their RR/BAYC NFT collection and earned millions by confusing buyers.

Perspective of Yuga Labs

• ▪Yuga Labs accused Ryder Ripps and Jeremy Cahen of profiting from consumer confusion rather than legitimate parody.
• ▪Yuga Labs argued the RR/BAYC collection constituted unauthorized commercial use of Bored Ape Yacht Club intellectual property.

Perspective of Ryder Ripps and Jeremy Cahen

• ▪Ryder Ripps and Jeremy Cahen contended that reusing Bored Ape Yacht Club imagery was necessary for their satirical commentary.
• ▪Ryder Ripps and Jeremy Cahen claimed their RR/BAYC project was artistic criticism protected under fair use principles.

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