SANTA ANA, Calif. — It’s Round 2 in the knockdown legal catfight between toy giant Mattel Inc. and bitter rival MGA Entertainment Inc. over the right to make and market Bratz dolls — the sassy, streetwise line that flew off the shelves when it was introduced.
Two years ago, a federal jury awarded Mattel $100 million and found that Bratz designer Carter Bryant had developed the concept for Bratz dolls while working for Mattel. An appeals court later overturned the verdict and sent it back for a retrial.
Now, the archrivals are set to present opening statements today involving Mattel’s original copyright infringement allegations along with MGA’s counterclaim of unfair business practices and Mattel’s accusation of theft of trade secrets by its competitor.
