Bored Ape Yacht Club creator Yuga Labs has settled its long-running lawsuit with artists Ryder Ripps and Jeremy Cahen, according to filings in the Central District of California.
Under the settlement, Ripps and Cahen are permanently barred from using Yuga Labs’ imagery and trademarks and must transfer control of the smart contracts, domains and any remaining NFTs tied to their RR/BAYC project to Yuga Labs within 10 days. The court also enjoined the pair from transferring, assigning, concealing, or otherwise disposing of any NFTs, domains, accounts, or other assets covered by the injunction to avoid compliance.
The dispute began when Yuga Labs sued in June 2022, alleging Ripps and Cahen created lookalike NFTs that copied Bored Ape Yacht Club artwork and profited as users were confused between the projects. Ripps and Cahen maintained the RR/BAYC tokens, first minted in May 2022, were satire and parody protected by free-speech laws.
In April 2023 a court found that Ripps and Cahen violated copyright law and ordered them to pay $1.37 million plus $200,000. That penalty later increased to $9 million after a 2024 counterclaim loss. An appeals court in 2025 overturned the judgment and found a jury trial was required to decide whether Yuga’s trademarks were infringed, prolonging the legal battle.
The settlement ends nearly four years of litigation between the parties. The RR/BAYC NFTs remain accessible on OKX Wallet.
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