Muskan Sharma on January 8, 2023
The OMG Girlz was a group of four girls, aged 11 to 13. The group included Sisters Bahja and Lourdes Rodriguez, Lil Wayne’s daughter Reginae Carter, and Tiny Harris’ daughter Zonnique Pullins. Recently, Tiny along with T.I. filed a case against MGA Entertainment for allegedly copying the former girl group’s image for their L.O.L Surprise OMG dolls.
Toymaker MGA Entertainment and T.I. and his wife are getting ready to go to war for intellectual property rights for the former adolescent pop female group OMG Girlz. OMG Girlz founder Tiny accused MGA of using the group’s image for their L.O.L Surprise OMG Girls dolls on Friday (January 6). The Xscape singer shared a few examples of how the two are similar on Instagram:
“This is a straight up & down infringement case on @omggirlz likeness & their creation that we all worked so hard to build. Only to be snatched by a big company with no remorse.”
“I am only fighting for what’s right on behalf of the Girlz & us!! #OMGGirlz #OMGDolls #MGA #PrettyHustle #GrandHustle.”
According to T.I. and Tiny, MGA said in 2010 that it intended to release a line of dolls based on the OMG Girlz. However, they were unable to negotiate a licensing agreement and allegedly refused to discuss remuneration. T.I. and Tiny were unaware that the dolls have been available since 2019.
They got to know about it after fans made them aware of it. They claimed that after making an effort to resolve the issue privately with MGA, the toy company filed a lawsuit against the Atlanta couple.
“MGA responded in bad faith. Rather than discuss a licensing agreement, MGA instead pre-emptively filed a lawsuit claiming that they alone created and own the name and image of the OMG Dolls.”
The OMG Girlz name and image cannot be “simply misappropriated the OMG Girlz name and image without compensation,” T.I. and Tiny said. Reporter Meghann Cuniff for Law & Crime claims that, in addition to “other pre-trial issues,” there are significant “cultural misappropriation and racism issues” being taken into account in litigation.
During the case’s pre-trial session on Thursday (January 5), Cuniff, who attended, reported that “T.I.’s criminal history, and about Tiny making a t-shirt with her daughter’s mugshot,” were both mentioned.
According to an MGA lawyer, “there will be 31 mini trials, as the creative origins of each doll are explored in full” because there will be 31 dolls discussed during the trial, which she also mentioned will be discussed.
The group, best known for their tracks “Can’t Stop Loving You,” “Where the Boys At?” and “Gucci This (Gucci That”), also had several cameos in the 2012 series T.I. and Tiny: The Family Hustle. 2015 saw the group’s dissolution. For further updates stay tuned to Thirsty.
What’s your take on it? Sound off in the comments.
January 8, 2023 9:46 am
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