A jury ruled against MGA Entertainment in its lawsuit with Mattel Inc. over whether a Mattel employee created the popular Bratz line of dolls. The jury hearing the case in U.S. District Court in Riverside found that Van Nuys-based MGA and its CEO Isaac Larian took Mattel property for their own use, and aided and abetted doll designer Carter Bryant breaching his loyalty and fiduciary duties to Mattel. The verdict is a victory for the hard-working people at Mattel who come together to create beloved children’s toys, said company Chairman ad CEO Robert A. Eckert. “It is also a victory for all those who believe in fair play,” Eckert said. The jury will next decide whether the Bratz dolls infringe on the drawings and designs owned by Mattel and if so how much in damages MGA must pay. The Bratz doll line brings in an estimated $1 billion in revenues. Bryant worked for Mattel between 1995 and 1998 and then again in 1999 and 2000. He signed an agreement that gavel Mattel the right to anything he designed while working there.
