Rapper T.I. and his spouse Tameka “Tiny” Harris are suing a toymaker for utilizing his stepdaughter’s likeness in a sequence of dolls, which they declare ripped off her look whereas working within the rap group OMG Girlz.
In April 2022, Zonnique Pullins, T.I.‘s stepdaughter, accused the doll company’s OMG Dolls of plagiarizing the aesthetic of OMG Girlz, a gaggle she was in throughout her teenage years, The Shade Room‘s Nick Fenley wrote for Blavity on the time.
Harris Family Suing Toy Company For Ripping Off Look Of Stepdaughter’s Former Rap Group ‘OMG Girlz’
Now, it seems the Harris household is shifting ahead with a lawsuit towards the corporate, MGA Entertainment, after lately submitting federal court docket paperwork in Santa Ana, California, reporter Meghann Cuniff tweeted on Thursday.
The Harris’ might be going to trial to defend the mental property rights of former woman rap group OMG Girlz, Cuniff reviews. The presiding decide for the case might be Senior U.S. District Judge James V. Selna.
Coming quickly to the federal courthouse in Santa Ana, California: Rapper T.I. and his spouse, Tameka “Tiny” Harris, are going to trial to defend the mental property rights of the previous woman rap group OMG Girlz in a lawsuit with toymaker MGA Entertainment. pic.twitter.com/5yTN39AXHA
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) January 5, 2023
T.I’s stepdaughter was in OMG Girlz, as was Lil Wayne’s daughter.
In an Instagram publish Zonnique made in April, she polled her followers on the matter, having them select between “Hope you got paid” and “Nope, don’t see (the resemblance).”
Roughly 95 % of respondents sided with Pullins.
Lawsuit Has “Big Cultural Misappropriation, Racism Issues Being Considered In Litigation,” Reporter Says
The trial itself goes to be about MGA’s OMG Dolls and whether or not or not they infringe on OMG Girlz. The doll maker was really the primary to provoke litigation again in 2020, however now T.I. and Tiny have gone on the offensive with a counterclaim.
Cuniff reviews the go well with has “big cultural misappropriation and racism issues being considered in litigation, among other pre-trial issues,” she tweeted.
“There is talk about T.I.’s criminal history, and about Tiny making a t-shirt with her daughter’s mugshot,” Cuniff tweeted in regards to the pre-trial points being mentioned with Judge Selna.
An individual accustomed to this case reportedly advised Cuniff final evening: “There are a gazillion damn dolls.”
31 Specific Dolls At Issue In Upcoming Trial, Meaning There Will Be 31 ‘Mini-Trials’ For Each Doll
On Friday, Cuniff reported there might be 31 dolls at difficulty in trial. An MGA lawyer says which means there might be 31 mini-trials, because the aesthetic origins of every doll are explored in full.
Cuniff additionally famous that this was the second time in three weeks that The Shade Room has been talked about in court docket paperwork.
In this case, authorized paperwork states The Shade Room has “shown strong support for finding familiarity between the OMG Girlz and the OMG Dolls.”
What do you suppose, Roomies? Does the Harris household have a declare towards the toy firm? Or is it simply pure coincidence that the dolls bear such a putting resemblance to OMG Girlz?