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T.I. and Tameka “Tiny” Harris just scored a massive $71 million win in a lawsuit against toy company MGA Entertainment. The legal battle, which spanned three trials, concluded with a Santa Monica jury siding with the couple. Read more details about this major win for the music couple and their girl group, OMG Girlz.
The courts determined that MGA violated the intellectual property rights of their girl group, OMG Girlz. The group formed in 2009 featured their daughter, Zonnique “Star” Pullins, Bahja Rodriguez, Breaunna Rodriguez. Former members include Reginae Carter and Lourdes Rodriguez. The lawsuit claimed that MGA’s popular “L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G.” dolls copied the group’s style, image, and likeness. The jury awarded $17.9 million in damages and a whopping $53.6 million in punitive damages.
While speaking to Rolling Stone, rapper T.I. dedicated the victory to creators who have had their work misappropriated by big corporations.
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“I think justice was served. I think it’s a testament to the relentlessness and resilience of my wife, daughter and nieces,” he said. He emphasized that the verdict is a win for “people who actually put hard work and effort into building and creating things from nothing.”
Tiny was equally shocked by the outcome, telling the publication, “I mean, wow. They did more than I thought they would… We wanted to thank the jurors so bad, but we didn’t get the opportunity.”
This victory comes after a long legal journey. The couple’s first lawsuit against MGA ended in a mistrial in early 2023. They lost the second trial in May but were granted a retrial, which led to this final ruling.
MGA Entertainment denied the allegations, claiming the dolls weren’t based on the OMG Girlz. However, T.I. and Tiny, along with many fans, clearly saw the similarities, and the jury agreed.
Congrats to the girl group, their team and the creative community at large!
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