Jury awards teen pop group OMG Girlz $71.5 million in fight with Toy Maker over ‘LOL’ dolls

Toy maker MGA Entertainment must pay $71.5 million in damages for infringing on the name and likeness of teen pop group OMG Girlz with one of its popular doll lines, a federal jury has ruled.

Monday’s verdict hands a victory to OMG Girlz — as well as Xscape singer Tameka “Tiny” Harris and rapper Chris “TI” Harris — in the third lawsuit related to a years-long intellectual property battle with the California company. Among a web of back-and-forth claims, the MGA “LOL Surprise! The “OMG” dolls were considered to have a similar name and style to the all-female band, including seemingly similar clothing.

The jury found that a handful of dolls infringed on OMG Girlz’s “trade dress” and/or appropriated the musical group’s “name, likeness and identity.” As a result, court documents show, jurors awarded OMG Girlz, Tiny and TI $17.9 million in actual damages plus $53.6 million in punitive damages.

Tiny and TI are the mom and stepdad of OMG Girlz member Zonnique Pullins. On Monday, Pullins and fellow OMG Girlz Bahja Rodriguez and Breaunna Womack celebrated the verdict in Instagram posts.

“This is for creatives everywhere,” Rodriguez wrote. “We will no longer be bullied into silence when it comes to others taking advantage of our ideas and creativity.”

Tiny, who has been particularly outspoken about the case over the years, applauded the decision on Monday.

In 2020, MGA filed a lawsuit seeking a declaratory judgment stating that “LOL Surprise! OMG Products” did not infringe any intellectual property rights belonging to OMG Girlz after receiving a cease and desist from the group. But counterclaims were soon filed from OMG Girlz, Tiny and T.I.’s crew.

The first trial was held in January 2023, but the trial was declared void on the grounds that prohibited testimony was introduced accusing the company of cultural appropriation. The second trial sided with MGA, but the judge later granted OMG Girlz’s request for a retrial.

Neither MGA, whose toy brands also include Bratz and Mini Verse, nor lawyers representing the company immediately responded to requests from The Associated Press for comment on the verdict Tuesday.

MGA has denied allegations of trespassing and misappropriation throughout the trial. According to Rolling Stone, Paul J. Loh, one of the company’s lawyers, called the claims “baseless and offensive” in closing arguments — noting that MGA has sold more than 40 million “LOL Surprise! OMG” dolls without confusing customers.

In a joint statement, lawyers on the other side of the case applauded the determination of OMG Girlz, Tiny and TI and their “courage to defend themselves and fight back against the intimidation of a billion dollar corporation” – adding that the jury did what had to claim MGA “fully responsible”.

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