Appellate Court Sides with Maker of Bratz Dolls

MGA Entertainment Inc. can continue to own the rights to the popular line of Bratz dolls following a ruling by a federal appeals court. Appellate Court Judge Alex Kozinski found that the order to MGA to hand over its right to the Bratz line to Mattel Inc. was an “abuse of discretion” that should be vacated. Mattel sued Van Nuys-based MGA claiming copyright infringement because then-Mattel employee Carter Bryant had taken an idea for the large-eyed, fashion conscious Bratz to MGA rather than to his employer. A jury found in favor of Mattel two years ago. In April 2009, U.S. District Judge Stephen Larson upheld the $100 million verdict and that Mattel had ownership to the Bratz dolls line. Kozinski’s ruling found that Larson had erred in interpreting Bryant’s employment agreement as covering any idea or work he came up with while employed by Mattel. Larson should have left it up to the jury to decide the scope of Bryant’s agreement, the ruling said. Mark R. Madler