Judge Gives Bratz Doll Line to Rival Mattel

Since MGA founder invented Barbie competitor while on payroll, Mattel owns it
By Drew Nelles,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 4, 2008 3:15 PM CST
Judge Gives Bratz Doll Line to Rival Mattel
A judge ruled that Mattel is the legal owner of its rival MGA 's line of Bratz dolls, since the toys' creator invented them while working at Mattel under an exclusivity contract.   (©Picklepud)

Barbie maker Mattel landed a game-changing blow yesterday against the manufacturer of the hugely popular Bratz dolls, the Los Angeles Times reports. A federal judge ruled Mattel is the legal owner of the line and forbade rival MGA from selling Bratz products. The creator of Bratz was found in July to have been under contract to Mattel when he thought up the dolls; MGA's CEO plans to appeal yesterday's decision.

No more Bratz—known for their skimpy clothing and trademark pouts—could mean the end of the family-owned MGA, which has already laid off 70 workers due to the lawsuit; in its July finding, the jury also awarded Mattel $100 million in damages. “I don’t want to even think about that right now,” Isaac Larian said. (More Bratz stories.)

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