Luke Combs 'sick' over case copyright against woman who made Combs tumblers

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Country star Luke Combs at the center of an unusual legal case.

A woman was supposed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in a copyright lawsuit – but she didn't even know she had been sued. Now, as CBS 2's Sara Machi reported Wednesday night, Combs is apologizing to the woman because of what happened in a Chicago courtroom.

"It makes me sick, honestly, that this would happen," Combs said in a TikTok video. "Especially at the holidays, I can't imagine being in her shoes."

Combs made the remarks in response to a recent federal court case he won against dozens of merchandise sellers – in an attempt to stop major counterfeiters from using his name and likeness.

"We do have a company that goes after folks – only, supposedly, large corporations operating internationally that makes millions and millions of dollars making counterfeit T-shirts and things of that nature; running illegal businesses," Combs said in the TikTok video, "and apparently, this woman, Nicol, has somehow gotten wrapped into that."

A Chicago-based firm had filed several copyright infringement cases on Combs' behalf. The defendant, a Florida woman named Nicol Harness, told one outlet she was on the list "for selling 18 tumblers with Combs name and likeness on them, for a total $380."

On Nov. 15, a judge at Chicago's Dirksen Federal Courthouse ruled in Combs' favor, saying that each defendant would owe $250,000. The judge added that none of the defendants had appeared in court or answered the lawsuit in anyway.

But the Florida woman said she didn't know she had been sued. She said the lawsuit had been served to her by emailed.

"If we want to have effective service; if we want to be efficient in our jobs, it's important that we're able to serve defendants in a timely manner," said attorney Bridget Duignan.

Duignan - who is not affiliated with this case - said the law is changing to allow for alternate methods of serving lawsuit defendants – a task has traditionally been carried out by sheriff's deputies and process servers.

The Combs suit used existing federal rules. But a new Illinois state law from April would allow for more electronic notifications in circuit court cases at the state level too.

"The law is archaic, and our rules are archaic," Duignan said, "and the Illinois Supreme Court got it right when they expressed that we communicate by email; we communicate by text; we communicate by social media. That's just what we do now."

Combs said he has reached out to Harness, apologizing – and creating his own tumbler. He said the proceeds will go to her.