In the case of Bratz v. Mattel, It seems to me that it is a
sound not only like a classic version of he-said she-said but it seems like a
waste of time and money. From what I
have read it seems like Mattel wants a piece of the Bratz fortune simply
because the creator was still under contract with Mattel and not because it had
anything to do with the developmental process or success of the Bratz brand.
Allegations range from four Mattel employees disguised themselves as potential
buyers outfitted with fake business cards and fake invoices to gain entrance at
toy fairs to acquire rival information. They also allege that Mattel was
involved in one retailer removing all the MGA from its stores and threatened to
ruin a deal with a video company that was producing Bratz videogames because of
their “alliance with Bratz.”
Mattel fires back with alleged allegations that information
MGA said was stolen was actually released publicly and not trade secrets along
with alleging that MGA stole trade secrets by supporting Mattel employees to steal
documents before coming to work at MGA. "We remain committed to protecting the intellectual property that
is at the heart of business success," Mattel’s lawyer, (huffingtonpost.com)
This seriously sounds like one big he-said she-said, all
because it seems like Mattel saw a 1 billion dollar revenue being made from the
Bratz brand and decided they wanted and deserved a piece of the pie all
because the creator was still under
contract with Mattel. That seems like a bunch of bull if you ask me. The fact that
this made it all the way to the Supreme Court is astounding to me. Most likely
because of the amount of money involved, no doubt. “While this may not be the last word on the subject,”
Judge Kozinski said, “perhaps Mattel and MGA can take a lesson from their
target demographic: Play nice.” (nytimes.com)In the end MGA was awarded
137 million instead of the $309 million they were rewarded in April 2011 for
damages and legal fees. "I
feel vindicated and I'm very excited," he said in an interview. "I'm
happy for MGA, MGA employees and all the people who believed in us and did not
abandon us for all these years." (latimes.com)
Sources:
Huffingtonpost.com – http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/21/mattel-loses-lawsuit-with-mga-bratz_n_852223.html
NYTimes.com –
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/25/business/court-cuts-damages-owed-by-mattel-in-bratz-doll-case.html?_r=0
LATimes.com –
http://articles.latimes.com/2011/aug/05/business/la-fi-mattel-bratz-20110805
