T.I. & Tiny To Appear In Court To Defend Property Rights Of Daughter’s Former Girl Group ‘OMG Girlz,’ Couple Claims Toymakers Of ‘O.M.G. Dolls’ Have Stolen Group’s Likeness

January 5, 2023 by Kay Johnson in Music with 0 Comments

T.I., Tiny, OMG Girlz

T.I. & Tiny To Appear In Court To Defend Property Rights Of Daughter’s Former Girl Group ‘OMG Girlz,’ Couple Claims Toymakers Of ‘O.M.G. Dolls’ Have Stolen Group’s Likeness

An OMG battle will happen in the courtroom soon.

According to reporter Meghann Cuniff, celebrity couple T.I. and Tiny Harris are gearing up for a court case defending the former girl group OMG Girlz, which was founded by Tiny. Reportedly, the entertainers launched a countersuit against toy makers MGA Entertainment, who sued the pair over infringement claims for their popular O.M.G. Dolls.

Speaking on the case, Cuniff wrote:

“I discovered this case last night while cruising the federal court calendars and could barely believe it – I can’t emphasize enough how directly in my traditional legal affairs reporting wheelhouse this trial is going to be. The judge is Senior U.S. District Judge James V. Selna.”

She continued:

“T.I’s stepdaughter was in OMG Girlz, as was Lil Wayne’s daughter. The trial is going to be about MGA’s OMG Dolls and whether they infringe on OMG Girlz. MGA initiated it back in 2020, but T.I. and Tiny have gone on the offensive, too, with a counterclaim.”

According to reports on the matter, Tameka ‘Tiny‘ Harris submitted the countersuit after MGA claimed the group’s likeness was too similar to their doll collection. MGA reportedly cited concern over Clifford ‘T.I.’ Harris’ multiple arrests. Additionally, Harris making a t-shirt of her daughter Zonnique Pullins’ mugshot was cited as well. The band, comprised of Pullins, sisters Bahja and Lourdes Rodriguez, and rapper Lil Wayne’s daughter Reginae Carter (prior to her departure in 2010), was known for their signature colorful and eccentric style.

Despite similarities to the equally colorful and eccentric toys, Harris noted that the group was started back in 2009. Reportedly, the O.M.G. Dolls didn’t arrive until 2016. Pullins posted about the case following her mother’s countersuit back in April, asking her millions of followers:

“Do these dolls look familiar? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.”

Reportedly, 95% of her fanbase agreed the group was ripped off by MGA. Tiny, who goes by the Instagram handle MajorGirl, said she initially was unaware of the dolls’ existence until the suit. During an interview speaking on the countersuit, she reportedly stated:

“I was asked by someone if OMG Girlz had dolls available in the store. I told her no and immediately started looking into it and researching the company. I realized that the created O.M.G Dolls had an identical appearance to the OMG Girlz. I couldn’t believe dolls were made in their likeness, and I didn’t know.

OMG Girlz

She added:

“The dolls’ outfits are what struck me, and that’s how I knew they were infringing on our trademark. One outfit, in particular, stood out to me because I personally designed the outfit for the OMG Girlz’ tour. It wasn’t something that I picked up in the store. So, for their doll to have on the exact outfit, I knew they stole it.”

The singer noted that one of MGA’s later creations, named ‘Major Lady,’ bore striking similarities to her own persona. Reportedly, the company even paired the creation in a quartet, just like Harris‘ 90’s girl group Xscape.

According to Cuniff, the topics of cultural appropriation and racism are issues at the forefront of the case. One report noted MGA has been accused of similar instances of unlawfully using the likeness of others in the past. Cuniff, who also covered the Megan Thee Stallion vs. Tory Lanez trial, said she will continue to update as the case moves forward.

[VIA 1,2]

Do you think O.M.G. Dolls infringe on the OMG Girlz? Give us your thoughts in the comments!