• Developer Thomas Lehman settles with Yuga Labs over copycat NFT project
• Yuga Labs previously brought a case against Ryder Ripps and Jeremy Cahen for allegedly selling 9,500 counterfeit NFTs
• Lehman rejects claims made by Ripps in his project RR/BAYC
Yuga Labs Settles with Thomas Lehman
Yuga Labs has reached a settlement with Thomas Lehman, the developer responsible for generating new NFTs using URLs embedded in Bored Ape Yacht Club smart contracts. In a statement following the settlement, Lehman rejected all disparaging statements about Yuga Labs and its founders, noting that it was not his intention to harm their brand.
Case Against Ryder Ripps & Jeremy Cahen
The settlement is adjacent to an ongoing case Yuga Labs brought against artist Ryder Ripps and Jeremy Cahen in June 2022. The case stems from a collection of 9,500 copycat NFTs they sold in January 2022 which netted them a total of $1.6 million USD according to court filings.
Yuga Labs claims that Ripps used several identical digital art images of their original BAYC collection to promote an alleged scam to mislead consumers, harass Yuga, and enrich themselves. However, Ripps maintains his action was part of wider conceptual art practice that involves the use of what is known as „appropriation.“
CryptoSlate Reaches Out To Ryder Ripps
CryptoSlate has reached out to Ryder Ripps about Lehman’s settlement but has not received a response.
Positive Contributions From Yuga Labs
Lehman acknowledged the positive contributions from Yuga Labs to the NFT space in his statement following the settlement. Additionally, Yuga followed up with their own statement expressing their belief that creators must be able to rely on law to protect their work against IP theft and appreciating Mr. Lehman’s rejection of former cohorts’ actions.
Conclusion
In conclusion, both parties have reached a satisfactory agreement regarding the lawsuit and have issued statements expressing appreciation for one another’s work within the nascent web3 space. It remains unclear whether or not CryptoSlate will receive a response from Ryder Rippss regarding his involvement within this matter.