Rapper T.I. and his wife, singer-songwriter Tameka “Tiny” Harris, have won a staggering $71 million in a jury verdict against MGA Entertainment, the toy company they accused of infringing on the intellectual property rights of their teen pop group, the OMG Girlz. The jury awarded the couple $17.8 million in actual damages and $53.6 million in punitive damages following a three-week trial in federal court in Santa Ana, California.
This marks the couple’s third attempt at litigation; their initial trial in January 2023 ended in a mistrial due to jurors hearing barred testimony about cultural appropriation. A second attempt resulted in a loss for the couple, but a June 2023 Supreme Court ruling allowed the case to be retried, emphasizing that consumer confusion regarding product identity is crucial in infringement cases. The unanimous ruling determined that seven of the dolls in MGA’s L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. line replicated the Atlanta-based group’s likeness and trade dress.
During the trial, T.I.’s attorney, John Keville, urged jurors to impose significant penalties on MGA to “send them a message.” He presented evidence from social media showing public confusion over the dolls’ origins. T.I. and Tiny formed the OMG Girlz in 2009, featuring Tiny’s daughter, Zonnique “Star” Pullins, as a core member. Although the group has had an evolving lineup, its members reunited last year and are currently touring with a new single released recently.
