News : TI And Tiny's Massive Lawsuit Victory Reduced By Federal Judge

TI and Tiny Harris scored a major legal victory in September 2024. The couple sued MGA Entertainment for trademark infringement. They claimed the company has issued dolls with designs and named similar to the duo's girl group OMG Girlz. A federal jury ruled in their favor, and TI and Tiny were awarded a large sum of $71 million. It was a success by any measure, and the couple made it clear that they were happy with the ruling. At least, initially.

On January 6, U.S. District Judge James Selna made a preliminary ruling on the case. He claimed that there wasn't enough evidence to prove that MGA Entertainment directly copied OMG Girlz designs. It's still highly suspect, but Selna ultimately asserted that the lack of evidence did not support the massive payout that TI and Tiny had been granted. The judge pointed to the Lanham Act, which emphasizes how important it is to prove that a company willfully infringed on an existing trademark. As far as Selna can tell, MGA does not qualify. This means the company will not be on the hook for $53 million in punitive damages.

TI and Tiny are still getting paid. It is, however, a significantly smaller sum due to Selna's ruling. Instead of $71 million, Judge Selna determined that the couple should take home $17 million. This will no doubt be a disappointment to TI and Tiny, who praised the court's initial decision. "We wanted to thank the jurors for just seeing us through this," Tiny told People Magazine. "And just believing in what we said. They heard our story and they knew we wasn’t lying. It’s amazing." TI echoed his spouse's sentiment.

"I think it's a testament to the relentless and resilience of my wife, daughter and nieces," the rapper said. "We're just happy we were able to come out on top and fight for creatives and our intellectual property." The fact that the court is still ruling in TI and Tiny's favor means the importance of their victory is still a relevant talking point. Even if the celebrity couple are taking home much less than they were promised back in September.