Ryder Ripps and Jeremy Cahen are ordered to pay Yuga Labs $9 million following a copyright infringement lawsuit over the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) NFT series. The U.S. District Judge ruled against Ripps and Cahen, dismissing their defense of artistic expression. The court emphasized Yuga Labs' right to protect its trademarks and condemned the misleading use of BAYC's imagery by the defendants. This ruling, upheld by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, also includes the transfer of all related NFTs and intellectual property to Yuga Labs, marking a significant victory for copyright enforcement in the digital art space.
