- Ryder Ripps has been ordered by the court to pay $8.9 million in compensation, up from $1.5 million
- Ripps had gone to court to counter the claims made by web3 firm Yuga Labs regarding unlawful duplication of Bored Ape NFTs
- The artist said he’s planning to appeal the decision
Digital artist Ryder Ripps and his colleague Jeremy Cahen have found themselves in more trouble in their quest to overturn an earlier ruling in their battle with web3 firm Yuga Labs. The two have been ordered to pay Yuga Labs $8.9 million as compensation for illegally duplicating the firm’s Bored Ape NFTs. The amount is more than the $1.5 million they had been ordered to pay in October last year for infringing on the company’s trademark, a sign that they may find themselves paying more than $9 million if Ripps’ planned appeal also goes south.
Yuga Caused Emotional Distress?
According to court documents, Ripps and Cahen countered Yuga’s claims noting that the web3 firm had intentionally inflicted them with emotional distress and that their actions weren’t intended to defame Yuga’s reputation.
BREAKING
On a Saturday, The Federal Court has entered its final judgement against me in my case vs. YugaLabs.
Judgement Total: $9,112,496.50
(Note: My name is misspelled in the order)
We are appealing this outcome in the Ninth Circuit Court of California.
Case is ongoing. ✊ pic.twitter.com/fHcEsbBL6a
— PAULY (@Pauly0x) February 3, 2024
The $8.9 million will cover disgorgement of Yuga’s profits, statutory damages, attorney fees, costs and expert witness fees. The court also ordered the duo to destroy any RR/BAYC in their possession or send them to the web3 platform.
No More BAYC or Yuga-linked Products
Ripps and Cahen were also prohibited from developing virtual products resembling BAYC and creating websites or social media accounts claiming ties with the Bored Ape NFT collection or Yuga Labs.
In April last year, Yuga Labs won the case against the digital artist who argued that copying the company’s NFTs to create another collection dubbed RR/BAYC constituted artistic criticism. Yuga initially asked for $200,000 as compensation, but the court awarded them $1.5 million in October.
Although Ripps disclosed that he intends to appeal the decision, it’s to be seen whether he’ll reconsider his plan, considering that the odds are against him and that he may be slapped with a higher bill if he loses.
