Parents Can Breathe Easy; Bratz Dolls Will Remain on Store Shelves
The latest ruling in an ongoing copyright dispute between MGA Entertainment and Mattell ensures that the popular Bratz dolls will remain on store shelves come January. A court had recently ruled that the 2010 version of Bratz dolls would be made by Mattell, not MGA. MGA was ordered to stop making the dolls and to turn over ownership of the dolls to Mattell. But a US court of appeals has suspended the order while considering its verdict in the case.
The dispute started when Mattell charged that the Bratz designer, Carter Bryant, was working at Mattell when he designed the Bratz. That would possibly give Mattell rights to the design, depending on their employment contract. A US court ruled last year that MGA had breached copyright laws by selling the dolls. MGA was subsequently ordered to stop selling the dolls, but in the latest decision the court called the earlier ruling "draconian;" MGA has stated that they would go out of business if the right to produce Bratz were taken away.
The court ordered Mattell and MGA to attempt to come to an agreement on their own. You can find out more about what will become of the Bratz doll line at Bratz dolls to remain on shelves in Mattel-MGA battle.
If you have questions about employment contracts, work for hire, or copyright infringement, please contact Wood, Atter & Wolf, P.A. for legal counsel.
