• RR/BAYC Co-Founder Brian Quarmby files opposition to 10 trademark applications from Yuga Labs.
• The applications covered logos, artwork and branding for potential use across digital products such as NFT art, trading cards and metaverse wearables.
• A Yuga Labs spokesperson suggested that the move was just an attempt to cause trouble for the firm.
Opposition Filed Against Yuga Labs
One of the founders of the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) copycat NFT collection RR/BAYC, Brian Quarmby, has filed an opposition notice against 10 trademark applications from Yuga Labs. The filings submitted by Yuga Labs were mostly in the latter half of 2021 and covered a wide range of BAYC logos, artwork and branding for potential use across digital products such as nonfungible token (NFT)-based art, trading cards and metaverse wearables. Additionally, physical BAYC products like clothing, jewelry, watches and keychains were also included in some of the applications along with entertainment services such as gaming, television and music.
USPTO Status
The current status on all of the trademark filings is listed as “pending” on the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO’s) Trademark Trial and Appeal Board website.
Response From Yuga Labs
In response to this opposition notice from Brian Quarmby, a spokesperson from Yuga Labs played down its significance while suggesting that it was an attempt to cause trouble for their firm; “The Trademark Office has preliminarily approved Yuga Lab’s trademark applications for registration, and we look forward to their full approval in due course,” they said.
Background Of Dispute
This move marks another strange twist in the ongoing intellectual property dispute between BAYC creators Yuga Labs and RR/BAYC founders Ryder Ripps and Jeremy Cahen which began last summer over copyright infringement allegations surrounding some of RR/BAYC’s work being similar or identical copies of some pieces created by BAYC creators at Yuga Lab’s studio.
Conclusion
In conclusion it appears that this latest development is yet another step taken by RR/BAYC co-founder Brian Quarmby towards trying to protect his own intellectual property rights while also possibly stirring up more controversy between himself and his former colleagues at Yuga Labs.