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Yuga Labs Settles Trademark Dispute with Artist Ryder Ripps
The resolution concludes a two-year legal battle over the BAYC brand, establishing a critical precedent for intellectual property rights in the NFT sector.
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A Definitive End to the BAYC Trademark Saga
Yuga Labs, the powerhouse behind the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) NFT collection, has officially reached a settlement in its protracted trademark infringement dispute with conceptual artist Ryder Ripps. The resolution marks the conclusion of one of the most high-profile intellectual property battles in the nascent history of the non-fungible token (NFT) space, providing a degree of legal finality to a case that has been closely watched by creators, investors, and digital asset legal experts alike.
For nearly two years, the legal tug-of-war between Yuga Labs and Ripps centered on the latter’s release of the “RR/BAYC” NFT collection. Yuga Labs argued that Ripps’ project—which utilized the same imagery and branding as the original Bored Ape Yacht Club—constituted trademark infringement, false designation of origin, and cybersquatting. Ripps, conversely, framed the project as a satirical critique of the Bored Ape ecosystem, asserting that his actions were protected under the First Amendment.
The Legal Landscape of Digital Assets
The dispute began in June 2022, when Yuga Labs filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The company contended that Ripps’ collection was intentionally designed to confuse consumers and dilute the value of the original BAYC brand. In April 2023, U.S. District Judge John F. Walter delivered a significant victory for Yuga Labs, granting them a summary judgment. Judge Walter ruled that Ripps had willfully infringed on Yuga Labs' trademarks, noting that the artistic expression defense did not override the commercial trademark violations at play.
Following the court’s decision, the legal proceedings shifted toward the determination of damages and the enforcement of permanent injunctions. The final settlement brings this phase of the litigation to a close, effectively barring Ripps from further use of the BAYC trademarks and trademarks-related assets in a manner that would cause consumer confusion.