Yuga Labs and Ryder Ripps reach settlement, ending BAYC trademark dispute.

Yuga Labs and artist Ryder Ripps have reached a settlement in a long-standing trademark dispute, marking a near end to the legal battle surrounding Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC). Under the settlement agreement, Ripps and his partners will be prohibited from continuing to use Yuga Labs' images and trademarks. Specific terms have not yet been fully disclosed. The case began in 2022 when Ripps launched a replica NFT series (RR/BAYC) using the same ape image as BAYC, calling it "expressive appropriation art." Yuga Labs subsequently filed a trademark infringement lawsuit. In 2023, a U.S. court ruled that the replica project constituted trademark infringement and initially awarded approximately $9 million in damages. An appeals court later partially overturned the ruling and ordered a retrial, leading to a protracted legal battle.