Mattel Wins Bratz Lawsuit

December 5th, 2008 by Castina

Score One For The Beloved Barbie Roberts.

After a four-year legal dispute with MGA Entertainment Inc., the hugely-popular Bratz dolls are now the property of toy giant Mattel.

On Wednesday, a federal judge ruled that Mattel is the legal owner of the Bratz dolls, which are manufactured by archrival, MGA Entertainment. The ruling comes in part because Bratz creator, Carter Bryant, was working at Mattel under an exclusive contract when he came up with the idea for the doll.

This is a big deal for the toy maker since those makeup-wearing, fashion-forward, bubble-eyed Bratz have been kicking Barbie’s ass when it comes to girls ages 3-12. Barbie sales are down 15% this holiday season. (Barbie’s Dream House just doesn’t have the same appeal as tight pants and belly tops.)

MGA may no longer manufacture, sell, advertise, or license Bratz dolls or any other product with the Bratz name.

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13 Responses to “Mattel Wins Bratz Lawsuit”

On December 6th 2008, Nicole Griffin wrote:

Children ages 3 to 10 like bratz and I feel that they are taking this product away from them. I’m not a fan of Barbie because they created a pregnant barbie which I thought was the worse idea ever due to the age group that the barbie was created for, I feel like its not the bratz foult that barbie lost her touch with the new generation back when I was born parent bought barbie because they was the only dolls that were out at the time. I hope that the Bratz fight back
On December 6th 2008, gessica wrote:

hello,i am a 11 year old girl who loves bratz! please,please,please do not sew bratz they are so cool i like barbie a little bit i say that both companies arnt acting mature i thnik why cant barbie and bratz work together to make a doll together? i am begging the barbie team to stop pulling a lawsuit on the bratz please. please write back!
On December 11th 2008, Beth wrote:

As far as the pregnant Barbie goes; that may have been out of line, but at least Barbie is an ADULT.

How outraged would you be if they made a pregnant Bratz doll??? Imagine the uproar THAT would cause.

Let’s be perfectly honest. The Bratz are NOT the most wholesome, down-to-earth dolls out there. They dress like prostitutes, wear too much make-up and have even more unrealistic proportions than Barbie. Hardly a positive image to present to a young, impressionable child.

Also, let’s stop calling foul on the judge’s ruling and blaming Mattel for what happened. The designer of the Bratz dolls was STILL WORKING FOR MATTEL WHEN HE HE SHOWED THE FIRST BRATZ TO MGA. When you work for a big company like Mattel, you are made to sign a non-disclosure agreement which PROHIBITS an employee from revealing/selling any new products or ideas to other companies. It’s no different than illegal insider trading. Albeit without the jail sentence. This guy was by no means a free agent; he was asked to follow the rules and both he AND MGA broke them. If the company folds, Mattel’s not at fault. Both MGA and the designer are.

So, Nicole… how long have YOU been working for MGA?
On December 13th 2008, Chris wrote:

Let’s see. Someone creates a product while under contract with a company, and takes that product to another company, which seizes on it, turns it into a multi million dollar franchise, including movies, cartoons, video games and technology on TOP of the dolls… Hm. I would sue this company and the person who breached contract, too.

Mattel isn’t likely to be halting production of Bratz. There may (and dear goddess, I hope there are) be some visual changes, but I don’t see Mattel just canceling a popular toyline. As for a pregnant Barbie… Um… Don’t we give our little girls baby dolls that poop and pee and call them ‘mommy’? How is that really any different from a Barbie doll (And to note, it wasn’t Barbie, it was Barbie’s ‘older friend’, Midge) that’s pregnant and can ‘have the babies’?

And if you notice, the doll was not sold on her own, either. She was sold WITH HER HUSBAND, and DOCTOR Barbie, while Bratz dolls are sold in outfits no teenage girl, let alone a preteen girl, should wear, with make up so heavy Ronald McDonald gets make up envy.
On December 14th 2008, Stacy wrote:

Isn’t Barbie married to Ken? If so a pregnant Barbie isn’t really out of line. Women do get pregnant and being married first is the correct image to show children.

I think that the tatoo Barbie is more objectionable.

The Bratz are cheap looking and I will not buy my daughter any of these dolls. Belly shirts and fishnets are not the correct image these young girls need to identify with.
On January 2nd 2009, bratzlovazbarbiehataz!!! wrote:

barbie is a skanky little doll
she got pregnant cuz she be workin dat corner
W-H-O-R-E
bratz were soo much better
yea, the dressed kinda ho-ish
but at least they werent preggers
and ken is gay looking…….the bratz boys werent.

and if barbie ownS the idea of bratz they shulda kept sellin em

theres a smart idea bimbo barbie
little uneducated preggo whore doll
no one likes it!!!!

barbie why dnt yuhh do wat wat in tha butt wit ken and make more ugly babies!
KEN, BARBIE WAS MESSIN AROUND WIT SUMBODY CUZ ONE OF HER TWIN BABIES WAS BLONDE AND WHITE AND ANOTHER ONE WAS BROWN AND LOOKED PUERTO RICAN!
LATINOS DONT LIKE BARBIE. WE LIKE BRATZ!
SO WHY DNT YA DUMP HER KEN . GO OUT WIT YO MAN.
F**** ALL YALL BRATZ HATAZ! GO SUCK A DILL**E!!!!
whore. AND IF BRATZ GO OUT THEN SO WILL BARBIE BCUZ NO1 WOULD WNT TO BUY THEM UNLESS THEY HATAZ!
F*** ALL YALL BARBIE LOVERS!!!
On January 4th 2009, celine wrote:

look barbie ur making bratz go down but y only cuz ur jelouse thats how i put it i never seen people who liked barbies anywear and trust me i go to alot of places seen alot of people and met new one and i know al of them LOVE bratz plus iv asked all girls even some boys who do u pefer bratz or dumb barbie look what r u sewing them for is is cuz ur a hater is it cuz eversence bratz got uniqe style and dont get me wrong but iv never seen a black babie and im black the only black barbie iv seen is when bratz came out and another reson RACISIN NOT INCLUDED y the hell yes i said hell im an 11 yr olg girl and i said hell is barbie actin bitchey fuck all yall lil sluty barbie lovers and ill do what pisses barbie off ill buy all the bratz i can ill get all the movies and ill get all the games and ill even come to the court and sew u for dissin bratz! so yeah im 11 i can curse and i can slap adults so barbie u better watch your back!
On January 15th 2009, elissa wrote:

i think barbie wants to wake the f**k up i have 3 kids and both of my girls perfer bratz any day ova barbie and all my kids friends r the same bratz rule barbie is old and needs to retier wat is it just coz bratz r in the 21th centery and barbie is like wat older then 30 u can do alot more with bratz then wat u can do with barbie theses days wat person in there right mind would bring out a pregant barbie 4 kids atleast with bratz they teach kids to be them selfs no matter wat and bratz do also teach the kids other stuff and no bratz r no teachin kids to be sluts or wateva u want to think. so barbie move the f**k over your gettin to f**ken old 4 our new genaration.
On February 3rd 2009, psh wrote:

On January 2nd 2009, bratzlovazbarbiehataz!!! wrote:

*snip*

If you’re a key example of a Bratz lover and I am an example of a Barbie lover, I’m glad to see Bratz go. Think of it as striking a blow against illiteracy. Seriously, do you even attempt to communicate with a modicum of intelligence?
On February 21st 2009, maria guadalupe amial vargas wrote:

estan muy chidas
On July 6th 2009, sophie wrote:

look barbie back off bratz !!!!!!!!!!! because its not there fault ther amzing even thoe you are a amazinfg classic and i love you i did my history project on youu but bratz should not be stoped because i am a hudge fan lol. i love bratz but i also love barbie so just both stop fighting and get along
On July 21st 2009, celeste wrote:

look parents around the world i do not like barbie i used to have them when i was 5 but im11 now and when i was little i got a pregnet barbie and thats just wrong and hey those other 11 yr. old that wrote r right i mean beanie babies where old and know they have webkinz and they havent sew them yet and barbie is lke old and im just sitting here just reading what the grown ups complain about bratz and just sitting there and cry and bratz well they show about freind ship and fashion and hey my b day is coming up and i want bratz because they r youner but they dont make them really kidish like barbie i mean kelly lost her 1st tooth no kidding but if u say anything about bratz like there bad well hahaha lol to those people
On September 17th 2009, Bratzlover'smommy wrote:

I wish MGA had done things above board. My children love the bratz dolls and its really hard to explain why they are no longer available. I’ve bought them their first Moxie dolls and they like the new look, but they really liked the babz and kidz lines and i can’t find them anywhere. As a side note, didnt the creator of the bratz leave mattel because they didnt like his creation, then they sue when he finds a company who believes in him enough to produce the doll. i can really see this from both mattel and mga’s side. I just wish the product could continue to be sold.