- Yuga Labs has ended a lawsuit with Ryder Ripps’ developer Thomas Lehman
- The Bored Ape creator had accused Lehman of deliberating taking part in promoting a Bored Ape rip off
- Yuga Labs’ case against digital artist Ryder Ripps is still open
Bored Ape creator Yuga Labs has ended a lawsuit with digital artists Ryder Ripps’ associate Thomas Lehman after agreeing on an undisclosed settlement. The NFT powerhouse had accused Lehman of deliberately taking part in Ryder Ripps’s efforts to promote a Bored Ape rip-off collection called RR/BAYC and which Bored Ape translated to form a copyright infringement. However, Yuga Labs’ suit against Ripps which was filed in June last year is still open.
Lehman Helped Sow Confusion
Details indicate that Lehman developed the smart contract powering RR/BAYC and the websites promoting the phony Bored Ape collection. Yuga claimed that Lehman also helped the conceptual artist sow “confusion” by promoting the fake Bored Apes on social media. Although the full settlement details are yet to be released, Lehman has agreed to permanently cease involvement in projects seeking to create a BAYC rip-off.
Lehman also defended his actions noting that he didn’t deliberately intend to damage Yuga’s image, adding that the NFT heavyweight has a positive impact in the virtual collectibles space.” Yuga Labs noted that they’re happy that Ripps’ associate admitted that RR/BAYC was a counterfeit collection.
“Artistic Criticism,” not Counterfeit
Yuga Labs has also sued Jeremy Cahen for joining hands with Ripps to drum up support for the counterfeit Bored Ape collectibles. In June, the Bored Ape creator claimed that Ripps and Cahen were scammers riding on the popularity of Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) collectibles.
However, Ripps defended his move noting that his work was more of an “artistic criticism” rather than an outright counterfeit of the Bored Ape collection. With Lehman admitting to being in the wrong, it can only be seen whether this would add weight to Yuga Labs’ accusations against Ripps and Cahen.
