Toy Company Seeks $6M Repayment From T.I. Despite Winning Lawsuit

Written By Yasmine Duhé

Pay Up

After a recent trial victory where the jury dismissed T.I.'s claims against L.O.L Surprise OMG Dolls toy company MGA, now demands that the Atlanta native rapper reimburse them with a staggering $6 million. MGA asserts that this amount represents the expenses incurred during the litigation process, which they deem necessary due to what they describe as "litigation tactics" and "misconduct" exhibited by T.I. and his legal team. Despite their win in court, MGA argues that T.I.'s actions and claims justify seeking this substantial repayment.

T.I. and Tiny Sue
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MGA Wants T.I. & Tiny To Pay Up

Toy company MGA, known for its popular toys such as L.O.L Surprise OMG Dolls, is now pursuing T.I. for a reimbursement of $6 million following their recent triumph in a legal battle. The dispute initially arose when the “Whatever You Like” rapper and his wife, Tameka “Tiny” Harris, accused MGA of owing them nearly $100 million for allegedly stealing the design of their dolls from the 2011 teen pop trio OMG Girlz. The group included Tiny’s daughter, Zonnique Pullins.

However, the jury swiftly dismissed these claims, leading MGA to assert that the “What You Know” rapper should now repay the significant amount they spent defending against what they consider a baseless lawsuit. The trial faced an unexpected halt in January because jurors were exposed to racially charged testimony that was inadmissible, resulting in a mistrial.

A court filing on June 26 included MGA’s legal team stating their rationale behind seeking repayment from T.I. The filing emphasized the litigation tactics employed by the OMG Girlz, describing them as overreaching and pointing to alleged misconduct, including violating court rulings that ultimately led to the mistrial. 

MGA contends that the expenses incurred during the legal proceedings, amounting to over $6.1 million, should be covered by T.I. and his company.

MGA further emphasized the exceptional nature of the case, highlighting the “extremely aggressive” approach taken by T.I. ‘s legal team, which intensified the already contentious atmosphere. They also accused the opposing side of engaging in “discovery misconduct” and pointed to the mistrial due to mishaps, necessitating a new trial.

In addition, the toy company asserts that both how the OMG Girlz litigated this case and the weakness of the substantive claims and theories they presented (as confirmed by the jury) make this case “stand out from others,” stated MGA in their filing.

As of now, T.I.’s attorney has not responded to requests for comment.

Updated By: Yasmine Duhé (6/29/23 at 4:49 pm)


T.I. Returns To Court To Fight Against L.O.L. Surprise Dolls’ Toy Maker In Copyright Case

T.I. and his wife Tiny suffered a legal defeat in their $100 million lawsuit against MGA Entertainment, the creators of L.O.L. O.M.G. Surprise Dolls. A California jury recently ruled that MGA Entertainment did not infringe on the likeness of the couple’s former teen pop group, OMG Girlz, with their dolls.

In a recent court verdict, a California jury sided with MGA Entertainment in the legal battle against T.I. and Tiny. The couple had alleged that the LOL Surprise O.M.G. Dolls infringed on the likeness of their former teen pop group, OMG Girlz. The group was known for its vibrant wardrobe, colorful hairstyles, and individualized personas, which shared similarities with the dolls. 

However, the jury found no evidence of trademark infringement or violation by MGA Entertainment.

Speaking to reporters after the verdict, T.I. expressed his pride in his legal team and their efforts to defend their rights and intellectual property. He emphasized the importance of standing up against perceived violations and protecting one’s honor. 

T.I.’s comments suggest that they may consider appealing the court’s decision in the future, indicating a determination to continue fighting for their rights. T.I. commented, “I’m proud of the team of attorneys, and the paralegals, and everyone who came together for the right cause,” The “Whatever You Like” rapper then added: 

“You can’t just lay down and take it. If you see, feel, believe and know for a fact that your intellectual property has been infringed upon, that your rights have been violated, you go through whatever means you can to take it as far as you can to defend yourself, your honor and protect your rights. That’s strength. I’m not discouraged because I know from which my blessings come. And with or without that, we gonna be straight,”

Meghann Cuniff, a paralegal covering the case, noted an interesting comment made by MGA CEO Larian in response to being asked about celebrating the win. Larian humorously remarked that he would buy a yellow dress and dye his hair pink. 

The comment added a lighthearted moment to the legal proceedings.

However, some fans have taken to social media to express concerns about a possible racial issue underlying the case’s dismissal. Where one fan made a remark of “I mean…the similarities are there, L.O.L Surprise has tried this before too with another black creator. Seems like they don’t want to cut bw a check”. 

Citing previous instances where LOL Surprise Dolls faced accusations from Black creators, these fans believe there may be a reluctance to compensate Black creators for their intellectual property.
Amidst the trial against MGA Entertainment, T.I. also has set to release his new cannabis line under tobacco company, Cignature. The Atlanta native is also set to honor the “Mask Off” rapper, Future as “Trapper of the Year.”

Updated By: Chris Samuel (5/11/23 at 3:14 pm)


T.I. Returns To Court To Fight Against L.O.L. Surprise Dolls’ Toy Maker In Copyright Case

T.I. and his wife, Tiny, returned to federal court on May 10 for a second trial. This time, they are continuing their battle against toymaker MGA, accusing them of producing L.O.L. Surprise dolls that resemble members of the popular group OMG Girlz.

Updated By: Chris Samuel (5/11/23 at 3:14 pm)

T.I. and his wife, Tiny, hold a significant stake in the creation of OMG Girlz, a group involving their daughter, Zonnique, and two other talented singers. The dispute arises from T.I.’s claim that MGA illicitly copied the design of the dolls from his daughter’s group. 

Moreover, T.I. has accused MGA of cultural appropriation, citing the dolls’ resemblance to the distinctive style of the OMG Girlz, characterized by vibrant wigs and eye-catching outfits.

T.I.’s Allegations Of Copyright Infringement & Cultural Appropriation

T.I. firmly contends that MGA has brazenly stolen the design elements from the OMG Girlz and reproduced them in their L.O.L. dolls. The striking similarities between the dolls and the group’s members are the crux of this copyright battle. 

Additionally, T.I. argues that MGA’s replication of the OMG Girlz’s style represents an act of cultural appropriation, appropriating and commodifying an artistic expression without due credit or respect.

T.I. & Tiny’s “L.O.L. Surprise” Dolls Lawsuit Results In A Mistrial

T.I. and Tiny’s lawsuit against MGA on the L.O.L. Surprise dolls’ similarity to OMG Girlz ended in a mistrial. The outcome came after a customer said she couldn’t “support a company that steals ideas from Black people.”

Updated By: Kendall Parks (1/26/23 at 3:28 pm)

The Family Hustle couple caught a bad break when the case resulted in a mistrial where they accused the toy company, MGA Entertainment, of profiting off the OMG Girlz’ image. The ruling came down after a customer said she didn’t support MGA anymore because they steal ideas from Black people. MGAs lawyer Alan Hilowitz also spoke out and expressed how diversity has always been a part of their company:

“Diversity has always been a key value at MGA Entertainment in both our people and our toys. In fact, MGA brought diversity to the fashion doll category more than 21 years ago with the introduction of Bratz dolls. We are disappointed that the trial was cut short but look forward to vindicating our rights in the next trial.”

So far, the legal team for T.I. and Tiny hasn’t responded to the ruling. The mistrial comes two days before the “Be Easy” rapper got to speak in the courtroom after Tiny and her daughter Zonnique Pullins.

T.I. & Tiny Sue MGA Toy Company; Claims Popular “L.O.L. Surprise” Dolls Stole OMG Girlz Group Image

T.I. and his wife Tiny faced off in court against toy company MGA from Santa Ana, Calif., alleging they infringed on copyrights and drew inspiration from the OMG Girlz for the popular L.O.L. Surprise dolls.

The Details Of The Lawsuit

In one of the latest trends of lawsuits in the entertainment industry, the married hip-hop couple is suing toy company MGA for mimicking the style of OMG Girlz with their L.O.L Surprise and OMG dolls as they have the same image, trade dress, and name, which drew obvious similarities to them.

The group was organized by Tiny with her daughter Zonnique Pullins, Bahja Rodriguez, and Lil Wayne’s daughter Reginae Carter, who was part of the group before she left and signed to her father’s label Young Money.

MGA’s Legal Team Response

In response to the Harris family’s claims, MGA’s lawyer Jennifer Keller said, “They want tens of millions of dollars from MGA Entertainment for doing absolutely nothing, and I do mean nothing,” she said. “We’re going to show you that the OMG Girlz actually copied us and now complain we look like them. They were trend followers, not trendsetters.”

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Written by Yasmine Duhé

Yasmine Duhé, a Louisiana native, has always harbored a deep passion for music. She possesses a fervent love for creating and producing imaginative content that can be enjoyed by all.

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