Bored Ape NFT Creator Yuga Labs Wins Trademark Case Over Copycat

Bored Ape Yacht Club nonfungible token maker Yuga Labs Inc. prevailed in its trademark lawsuit against artists Ryder Ripps and Jeremy Cahen, as a California federal judge ruled that their use of the Bored Ape logo to sell look-alike NFTs violated federal trademark law.

US District Judge John F. Walter also ruled that a trademark-free speech balancing test doesn’t protect the artists’ “RR/BAYC” NFT project.

The April 21 decision comes months after Hermès International SA convinced a Manhattan jury that a digital artist violated trademark law by selling “MetaBirkin” NFTs that depicted images of Birkin handbags covered in faux fur. ...