Mattel wins important verdict in Bratz dolls case
In a battle of the doll makers, jurors today handed a major victory to the house that Barbie built, finding that a Mattel Inc. designer created the hugely lucrative Bratz dolls while he was working at the company under an exclusivity contract.
The U.S. District Court jury in Riverside also found that MGA Entertainment Inc., which debuted the Bratz dolls in 2001, aided and abetted the designer's breach of the Mattel contract.
And in a personal blow to MGA's colorful chief executive, Isaac Larian, the jury specifically decided he played a role in the contract breach.
The verdict opens the door to Mattel claiming damages or even a stake in the doll, which analysts estimate has made MGA from $500 million to $2 billion a year.
Shares of El Segundo-based Mattel were up 6% in after-hours trading.
