Just when Barbie thought she had kicked her edgier fashion doll rivals (The Bratz Dolls) off toy store shelves and reclaimed her exclusive reign as the most successful fashion doll on toy store shelves, a California U.S District Judge stayed his order requiring that all Bratz dolls be removed from store shelves by February 2009.
The court’s order granting Mattel a permanent injunction against the sale of Bratz dolls by MGA Entertainment (MGA)was entered on December 3, 2008 following a $100 million jury verdict against MGA for copyright infringement and other contract damages. The jury found that the creator of the Bratz Dolls was under contract with Mattel at the time he created drawings of the dolls, and all but four of the drawings were therefore owned by Mattel. Mattel’s ownership of the drawings allowed the jury to find that MGA’s Bratz dolls infringed Mattel’s copyright in the drawings.
According to a press release by MGA Entertainment, its retailers and distributors will be permitted to purchase the Spring and Fall 2009 Bratz and Bratz related products up to and including December 31, 2009. The court is also scheduled to hear MGA’s post trial motions to overturn the jury verdict and reverse the injunction on February 11, 2009. Until then, it does not appear that consumers and secondary market Ebay seller’s will be in a hurry to buy up the Bratz dolls in hopes they will become collectible dolls that once were successful in stealing some of Barbie’s thunder (not to mention retail shelf space).
Here is a photo of Barbie and her rival Bratz Doll named Kina:
