NFT creators have resolved a long-standing dispute regarding the bored apes., 2026/04/09 17:14:55

Yuga Labs, the company behind the collectible tokens featuring the “bored monkeys” of the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), has settled a prolonged legal dispute regarding intellectual property rights with artists Ryder Ripps and Jeremy Cahen.

The parties submitted a settlement agreement to the Central District Court of California, which permanently prohibits Ripps and Cahen from utilizing the images of the monkeys owned by Yuga Labs. The artists are required to transfer all smart contracts, domains, and any remaining non-fungible tokens (NFTs) associated with their alternative collection Ryder Ripps BAYC (RR/BAYC) to Yuga Labs within ten days.

In June 2022, Yuga Labs accused the artists of using images from the Bored Ape Yacht Club collection and profiting from the sale of copies of the monkeys. The defendants claimed that their tokens were intended as satire and parody of the actual BAYC collection. The artists referenced the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits Congress from enacting laws that restrict freedom of speech.

The court did not accept this argument and ruled in favor of Yuga Labs in 2023, stating that Ripps and Cahen violated copyright laws by creating a copy of the BAYC collection. The court ordered the artists to pay $1.6 million in damages. In 2024, the court increased the damages to $9 million, which included compensation for losses and legal expenses. Subsequently, an appellate court overturned this decision on certain grounds, indicating that a full trial was necessary to resolve remaining issues regarding the amount of damages and the intentions of the parties. Ultimately, the parties opted to settle the dispute through an agreement.

Last year, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) declined to continue its investigation into Yuga Labs’ activities. The regulator had suspected the company of violating U.S. securities laws.