Hip-hop mogul Clifford “T.I.” Harris and his wife Tameka “Tiny” Harris may have already celebrated their courtroom victory over toy giant MGA Entertainment — but now they’re set to collect even more money. On April 30 U.S. District Judge James V. Selna issued a final judgment that not only upheld the $71.4 million jury award in their favor, but also ordered MGA to pay an additional 3.972% in annual interest, compounding the couple’s multimillion-dollar win. And so far, it seems the company has yet to pay on the judgement, meaning they are racking up interest.
The Win Gets Bigger
When the couple took on billion-dollar toy company MGA Entertainment, few industry insiders predicted they’d walk away with such a large judgment.
A California jury agreed in September 2024 that the company copied the look and feel of the OMG Girlz, the girl group the Harrises launched in 2009.
Fourteen L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. dolls were found to infringe on the group’s trade dress and likeness, including styles tied to Zonnique Pullins, Bahja Rodriguez, and Breaunna Womack.
The verdict is a major win for the couple and a reminder that Black creativity deserves legal protection.
According to court documents filed on April 30 and obtained by Finurah that addressed the appeal from the toy company, the jury found that MGA had infringed on what court documents specifically identify as the group’s “trade dress” rights.
While MGA prevailed on several claims, including “trademark infringement, statutory unfair competition, and common law unfair competition,” the jury determined that specific dolls had misappropriated the OMG Girlz’s distinct aesthetic elements.
They also ruled that one doll misappropriated a likeness without infringing trade dress, while 17 others were cleared.
The court battle centered on what legal documents describe as “trade dress and common law misappropriation claims” against a narrowed list of seven dolls from MGA’s product line.
Judge James V. Selna of the United States District Court, Central District of California, eventually entered the final judgment, which reflects the jury’s award: $17.8 million in actual damages and $53.6 million in punitive damages.
According to court filings, the judgment also “accrues 3.972% interest” from the date of issue.
This case illuminates several critical considerations for businesses in any creative industry.
Beyond traditional trademarks and patents, companies must recognize that distinctive visual styles and aesthetics can constitute protectable intellectual property.
The Harris family’s win against an industry giant like MGA demonstrates that even small entities can successfully protect their IP against larger corporations.
Additionally, the punitive portion ($53.6 million) far exceeded the compensatory damages ($17.8 million), highlighting how courts may severely penalize companies found to have deliberately infringed on others’ IP rights.
“This verdict is a stepping stone for the culture, for the creators, so they’ll know that they have the opportunity to do the same and they can win.” Tiny Harris stated while leaving the courthouse after the verdict.
Tiny, who spoke on behalf of the group last year, which includes Tiny’s daughter Zonnique Pullins, Bahja Rodriguez, and Breaunna Womack, also saluted the jury for taking their time to digest their side of the story to present a favorable verdict in September 2024.
OMG Girlz attorney John R. Keville later stated that there was a shift in strategy to focus on only a few dolls, versus all of the ways the group and its manager thought they were being taken advantage of. While the jury allegedly stated there were more cases of infringement, the lawyer said, “We aren’t greedy,” and was satisfied with the ruling.
While the judgment has been officially entered, entrepreneurs should understand that these high-stakes IP battles rarely end with the initial verdict.
According to the joint stipulation filed by the parties on April 30, “enforcement of the Judgment is stayed, without any bond or security, until 30 days after issuance of the mandate following appeal.”
MGA objected to the final judgment on April 28 and has since appealed to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, with both parties agreeing to “defer briefing on attorneys’ fees and costs until after issuance of the mandate following appeal.”
While the case seems all wrapped up now, it was a major legal back-and-forth. Between 2020 and 2022, T.I. and Tiny Harris file a lawsuit against MGA Entertainment, claiming the company’s “L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G.” dolls misappropriated the likeness, style, and trade dress of their girl group, the OMG Girlz.
By January 2023 the first trial ends in a mistrial, after a video deposition including banned commentary about cultural appropriation is shown to the jury. The judge granted MGA’s motion for mistrial.
Post-January 2023: The court dismisses the case, citing issues such as lack of standing or failure to meet certain legal burdens. On July 14, 2023, MGA Entertainment files an appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, challenging the court’s decision to impose attorney’s fees after dismissal. On December 14, 2023, the case is officially terminated at that time, according to federal court records.
In September 2024, a new trial resulted in a jury verdict awarding $71.4 million to T.I., Tiny, and the OMG Girlz ($17.8 million in actual damages and $53.6 million in punitive damages).
But in January 2025, Judge James Selna indicates he might reduce the punitive damages due to insufficient proof of bad faith, potentially lowering the award to $17.8 million.
Then came the reinstatement of the full award. By February 2025, after further review, Judge Selna reverses his tentative ruling and reinstates the full $71.4 million judgment, upholding the jury’s award.
The April 15 order specifically dealt with post-judgment interest.
Here’s a revised summary:
On April 15, Judge James V. Selna issued an order regarding post-trial equitable issues, focusing on post-judgment interest. The court confirmed that the OMG Girlz would receive interest on the $71,489,012 judgment at a rate of 3.972%, compounded annually, starting from April 15, 2025, until payment is made.
The final judgment, previously issued, had adopted the jury’s disgorgement award of $17,872,253 for common law misappropriation of the OMG Girlz’ name, likeness, or identity. The court did not accept the jury’s disgorgement award under the Lanham Act and did not award any disgorgement of MGA’s profits under that law. Additionally, the court upheld the jury’s $53,616,759 punitive damages award, confirming that MGA’s actions were conducted with oppression, fraud, or malice.
An order on April 15 focused solely on the details of the interest to be applied to the judgment. Judge Selna issued the order regarding post-trial equitable issues, focusing on post-judgment interest. The court confirmed that the OMG Girlz would receive interest on the $71,489,012 judgment at a rate of 3.972%, compounded annually, starting from April 15, 2025, until payment is made.
Still, the couple may not yet to see the money if there is another appeal by MGA Entertainment.
