High-Stakes Trade Dress Showdown: MGA Entertainment’s Infringement Case Heads Back to Jury as Willfulness Question Lingers

SANTA ANA, Calif. — A high-profile trade dress infringement case involving MGA Entertainment and the OMG Girlz musical group is poised to return to a jury for a fourth trial, following a tentative ruling by a federal judge on Monday. Despite MGA’s preference for a bench trial, U.S. District Judge James V. Selna indicated that jurors will re-examine specific aspects of the case. The upcoming proceedings will focus on whether MGA acted willfully in infringing upon the OMG Girlz’s designs. Earlier this year, Judge Selna invalidated a punitive damages award of $53.6 million, initially escalated … Read more

Judge Declares $53.6 Million Punitive Award ‘Unsupported,’ T.I. and Tiny Weigh Options for New Trial Against MGA Entertainment

A California jury previously awarded rapper T.I. and his wife, Tameka “Tiny” Harris, $71 million in a legal battle against toy maker MGA Entertainment over claims of intellectual property infringement. However, recent developments in the case have introduced the possibility of a retrial, following a ruling by U.S. District Court Judge James V. Selna stating that a significant portion of the award, specifically $53.6 million in punitive damages, lacked proper evidential support. Judge Selna indicated that the maximum punitive damages that could be reasonably supported by the evidence is merely $1. This ruling has opened … Read more

"Federal Judge Slashes T.I. and Tiny’s $53.6M Award in Doll Infringement Case, But Upholds $17.8M Damages Against MGA Entertainment"

SANTA ANA, Calif. — A federal judge has overturned a jury’s punitive damages decision that originally awarded hip-hop artists T.I. and Tiny Harris $53.6 million in their legal battle against MGA Entertainment, the maker of L.O.L. Surprise! dolls. The judge’s ruling did not nullify the jury’s earlier finding that MGA must pay $17.8 million for trade dress infringement and likeness misappropriation related to 15 dolls depicting the OMG Girlz, a group fronted by the Harris’s daughter, Zonnique Pullins. Senior U.S. District Judge James V. Selna stated there was insufficient evidence to suggest MGA acted with … Read more

T.I. and Tiny Harris Triumph With $53 Million Award in Doll Copyright Lawsuit Against MGA Entertainment

Los Angeles, California – In a high-stakes legal battle that has captured attention, rapper T.I. and his wife, Tameka “Tiny” Harris, are set to receive a substantial punitive damage award totaling over $53 million. This development comes as part of their ongoing lawsuit against toy manufacturer MGA Entertainment, which the Harris family accused of copying their OMG Girlz singing group concept to produce a line of dolls. The case has seen several turning points, most notably on Monday when U.S. District Judge James Selna decided to uphold a previous jury verdict from September 23. That … Read more