$309 Million in Bratz Case

Playthings Staff reported = Van Nuys, CA – In a ruling by U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, Mattel was ordered to pay MGA Entertainment, maker of Bratz dolls, $85 million in punitive damages for “willfully and maliciously” misappropriating MGA’s trade secrets and $139,887,177 to cover MGA’s legal fees and costs. These amounts are in addition to the $85 million previously awarded to MGA by a jury, for a total of $309,877,177 in damages and fees.

On April 21, 2011, a federal jury ruled that MGA Entertainment owns the rights to the Bratz dolls and unanimously rejected all of Mattel’s claims; it did not award any copyright damages, finding that MGA, not Mattel, owns the idea for Bratz as well as the original sketches for the doll.

- Your brand has value even before it is on the shelf or in the marketplace.  All the development costs in the design stage add up and have value so keep documentation to prove that you created the product/project as you just never know when and where you may have to prove that it is your baby and not someone else’s.

Even the big boys fight over proprietary property because they know the true value of a successful project. Millions are at stake – protect yourself by keeping excellent records.