Isaac Larian

Less than a couple of hours after a resounding defeat in federal court, Isaac Larian -- the blustery chief executive of MGA Entertainment Inc. -- sounded like a man getting into the ring, not one who had just gotten a legal beating. "They are so dishonest," he said of archrival Mattel Inc., which had just won a jury victory in a long-fought copyright infringement lawsuit that could cost MGA more than $1 billion.

A federal judge ordered toy giant Mattel Inc. to pay bitter rival MGA Entertainment Inc. more than $309 million in damages, fees and other costs in the long-running dispute over the billion-dollar Bratz doll line and rejected Mattel's bid for a new trial. Isaac Larian, the outspoken chief executive of Van Nuys-based MGA, said he was thrilled by the decision by U.S. District Judge David O. Carter, which he called a "step in the right direction. " "I feel vindicated and I'm very excited," he said in an interview.

A federal judge ordered toy giant Mattel Inc. to pay bitter rival MGA Entertainment Inc. more than $309 million in damages, fees and other costs in the long-running dispute over the billion-dollar Bratz doll line and rejected Mattel's bid for a new trial. Isaac Larian, the outspoken chief executive of Van Nuys-based MGA, said he was thrilled by the decision by U.S. District Judge David O. Carter, which he called a "step in the right direction. " "I feel vindicated and I'm very excited," he said in an interview.

Score one for the little guy. In siding with MGA Entertainment Inc. over rival Mattel Inc. in the retrial over who owns the rights to the billion-dollar Bratz doll franchise, a federal jury said the toy giant had not proved its allegations of copyright infringement. What's more, some jurors said they sympathized with MGA's plight as a small company trying to compete with the industry behemoth. "I don't think anyone should be able to bully someone and own everything," said juror Nadine Done, 22. The eight-person jury unanimously rejected Mattel's copyright infringement claims; said Mattel did not own the rights to the dolls, early models or sketches; and said MGA did not steal trade secrets.

Score one for the little guy. In siding with MGA Entertainment Inc. over rival Mattel Inc. in the retrial over who owns the rights to the billion-dollar Bratz doll franchise, a federal jury said the toy giant had not proved its allegations of copyright infringement. What's more, some jurors said they sympathized with MGA's plight as a small company trying to compete with the industry behemoth. "I don't think anyone should be able to bully someone and own everything," said juror Nadine Done, 22. The eight-person jury unanimously rejected Mattel's copyright infringement claims; said Mattel did not own the rights to the dolls, early models or sketches; and said MGA did not steal trade secrets.

Never has the birth date of a doll been so important -- worth possibly billions of dollars. At the Barbie vs. Bratz face-off in federal court Thursday, the battle in the dueling copyright infringement lawsuits was largely over the date the phenomenally successful Bratz dolls were created. Mattel Inc. -- home of the Barbie empire -- alleges in its suit that the dolls were secretly created by one of its employees and then taken to rival MGA Entertainment Corp., which makes the Bratz line.

The maker of pouty-lipped Bratz dolls owes toy giant Mattel Inc. nearly $2 billion for stealing its conceptual drawings for the urban-themed toys, a Mattel attorney said Wednesday during closing arguments in the damages phase of a copyright infringement lawsuit. The jury ruled last month in the first phase of the federal trial that the designer of MGA Entertainment Inc.'s Bratz dolls, Carter Bryant, came up with the concept while working for Mattel. The jury also found that Los Angeles-based MGA aided in the breach of contract, and its chief executive, Isaac Larian, played a role in the deal.

The bitter battle over ownership of the Bratz dolls has grown more acrimonious, with toy giant Mattel Inc. seeking a mistrial following scathing remarks made on the stand by the chief executive of rival MGA Entertainment Inc. In his testimony this week, Isaac Larian, the colorful and outspoken head of MGA, contended that the stress from the years-long dispute with Mattel killed his father, destroyed his family and caused Bratz creator Carter Bryant...

Mattel won the big battles in the Barbie vs. Bratz trial, but it may have lost the financial war. A jury in federal court Tuesday awarded Mattel Inc. as much as $100 million in a copyright infringement case against MGA Entertainment Inc., which brought out the hugely popular Bratz dolls in 2001. But that's about 5.5% of the $1.8 billion that Mattel asked of the jury. "MGA wins on this one, big time," said Margaret Whitfield, an analyst with Sterne Agee & Leach. "That amount maybe just covers Mattel's legal expenses, with a little left over."

It's the Battle of the Bratz, the sequel. Bitter toy rivals Mattel Inc. and MGA Entertainment Inc. were back in court Tuesday to renew their years-long battle over who owns the billion-dollar Bratz, the sexy-with-an-attitude dolls that debuted a decade ago and deeply cut into Mattel's Barbie empire. During the first trial in 2008, a jury in Riverside found that Bratz inventor and former Barbie designer Carter Bryant was in Mattel's employ when he developed the concept for the immensely popular dolls.

The bitter battle over ownership of the Bratz dolls has grown more acrimonious, with toy giant Mattel Inc. seeking a mistrial following scathing remarks made on the stand by the chief executive of rival MGA Entertainment Inc. In his testimony this week, Isaac Larian, the colorful and outspoken head of MGA, contended that the stress from the years-long dispute with Mattel killed his father, destroyed his family and caused Bratz creator Carter Bryant...

It's the Battle of the Bratz, the sequel. Bitter toy rivals Mattel Inc. and MGA Entertainment Inc. were back in court Tuesday to renew their years-long battle over who owns the billion-dollar Bratz, the sexy-with-an-attitude dolls that debuted a decade ago and deeply cut into Mattel's Barbie empire. During the first trial in 2008, a jury in Riverside found that Bratz inventor and former Barbie designer Carter Bryant was in Mattel's employ when he developed the concept for the immensely popular dolls.

The temporary receiver put in place to oversee MGA Entertainment Inc. has been removed by the federal judge who put him there last month, making company founder Isaac Larian again the sole head of the toy-making outfit. But it's a diminished kingdom. The order issued late Thursday by U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Larson did not alter the fact that Van Nuys-based MGA has to give up by far its most prominent product line -- the Bratz dolls it introduced in 2001.

Isaac Larian, the outspoken entrepreneur who made a fortune off the popular Bratz dolls, was ordered by a federal court judge late Monday to hand control of his company to a temporary receiver. In addition, MGA Entertainment Inc., based in Van Nuys, can no longer produce or distribute the sassy dolls. That's because U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Larson in Riverside also lifted his stay of an order giving archrival Mattel Inc. control of the Bratz assets.

Mattel won the big battles in the Barbie vs. Bratz trial, but it may have lost the financial war. A jury in federal court Tuesday awarded Mattel Inc. as much as $100 million in a copyright infringement case against MGA Entertainment Inc., which brought out the hugely popular Bratz dolls in 2001. But that's about 5.5% of the $1.8 billion that Mattel asked of the jury. "MGA wins on this one, big time," said Margaret Whitfield, an analyst with Sterne Agee & Leach. "That amount maybe just covers Mattel's legal expenses, with a little left over."

The maker of pouty-lipped Bratz dolls owes toy giant Mattel Inc. nearly $2 billion for stealing its conceptual drawings for the urban-themed toys, a Mattel attorney said Wednesday during closing arguments in the damages phase of a copyright infringement lawsuit. The jury ruled last month in the first phase of the federal trial that the designer of MGA Entertainment Inc.'s Bratz dolls, Carter Bryant, came up with the concept while working for Mattel. The jury also found that Los Angeles-based MGA aided in the breach of contract, and its chief executive, Isaac Larian, played a role in the deal.

The temporary receiver put in place to oversee MGA Entertainment Inc. has been removed by the federal judge who put him there last month, making company founder Isaac Larian again the sole head of the toy-making outfit. But it's a diminished kingdom. The order issued late Thursday by U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Larson did not alter the fact that Van Nuys-based MGA has to give up by far its most prominent product line -- the Bratz dolls it introduced in 2001.

Isaac Larian, the outspoken entrepreneur who made a fortune off the popular Bratz dolls, was ordered by a federal court judge late Monday to hand control of his company to a temporary receiver. In addition, MGA Entertainment Inc., based in Van Nuys, can no longer produce or distribute the sassy dolls. That's because U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Larson in Riverside also lifted his stay of an order giving archrival Mattel Inc. control of the Bratz assets.

Less than a couple of hours after a resounding defeat in federal court, Isaac Larian -- the blustery chief executive of MGA Entertainment Inc. -- sounded like a man getting into the ring, not one who had just gotten a legal beating. "They are so dishonest," he said of archrival Mattel Inc., which had just won a jury victory in a long-fought copyright infringement lawsuit that could cost MGA more than $1 billion.

Never has the birth date of a doll been so important -- worth possibly billions of dollars. At the Barbie vs. Bratz face-off in federal court Thursday, the battle in the dueling copyright infringement lawsuits was largely over the date the phenomenally successful Bratz dolls were created. Mattel Inc. -- home of the Barbie empire -- alleges in its suit that the dolls were secretly created by one of its employees and then taken to rival MGA Entertainment Corp., which makes the Bratz line.