The Barbie Spat Results In $40 Million Suit

The Barbie Spat Results In $40 Million Copyright Infringement

LawFuel - The Law Jobs and News Wire

Toymaker Mattel has been awarded multi-million dollar damages in a copyright case against the maker of the popular Bratz dolls, MGA Entertainment.

A California jury made the award after a court ruled that the creator of Bratz dolls, Carter Bryant, came up with the idea while he was working for Mattel.

The payout is thought to be at least $40m but Mattel, which makes Barbie, had asked for about $2bn.

The large-headed, multi-ethnic, urban fashion dolls became a bestseller.

The dolls are estimated to be making profits of about $500m a year for MGA.

Mattel, the world's biggest toymaker, won the case in July after claiming that the name and design of Bratz dolls were based on drawings by Carter Bryant made while he was under a contract that entitled Mattel to his designs.

MGA had argued that although Mr Bryant worked for Mattel between 1995 and April 1998 and then again from January 1999 to September 2000, the idea had come to him in the gap between his two stints.

 
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