Just in time for the holiday shopping season, Mattel Inc., maker of the notorious Barbie doll, is suing a rival toy company for stealing trade secrets. (A WSJ article, for you subscribers, is available here.) In a nutshell, the former employee of Mattel who developed the Bratz dolls claims that he designed them when he was in between jobs. Mattel is claiming they actually started production on the dolls before the defector went to MGA Entertainment, who now produces the dolls. Mattel is now suing the employee and the company itself for "copyright infringement, violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (or RICO), misappropriation of trade secrets, aiding and abetting breach of duty of loyalty, and unfair competition."

On a side note, have you ever had the opportunity to actually see those Bratz dolls in person? While visiting my sister for the holidays last year, we ended up at Toys R Us for a few last minute gifts. Her middle child requested some sort of Bratz band set, which included four or five of the dolls complete with instruments. My sister and I were rolling in the aisles over how, well, slutty the dolls were. The dolls had us uttering phrases such as "hooker" and "hoochie mama" while gasping for air between fits of laughter. So, if you haven't had the chance to view these fabulously inappropriate dolls, please click here. If you ever thought Barbie outfits were a bit risqué at times, you are in for a real shock.

posted by Amy Smorodin @ 11:53 AM | Games

Link to this Entry | Printer-Friendly | Email a Comment | Post a Comment(0)