Mattel reached a settlement with Bratz creator, Carter Bryant, on the eve before their lawsuit against Bratz maker, MGA, was set to be heard.
Bryant worked for Mattel, makers of Barbie, between the years of 1995 and 1998, and again between 1999 and 2000. The Bratz dolls were developed based on sketches he made somewhere during this time. Bryant and MGA claim he developed the dolls design in the interim, though Mattel was unconcerned; according to Mattel's suit, they should have had first-shot at any designs Carter Bryant created while in their employment.
More specifically, the amount to be awarded to Mattel was to be settled according to the first four Bratz dolls' sales (based directly on Bryant's designs) and all further Bratz line's sales. MGA had a point in contending that Mattel, had they won the case, should only be awarded the amount of money they were actually out, according to the contract Bryant was under at the time. Of course, had Mattel decided to produce the line, the entire amount would be theirs.
None of this mattered in the end, as Bryant settled for what is believed to be nearly $50 million.
ASIDE: I know I wrote about this and I am pretty sure I covered it here, but I cannot find it (this is why working the tags is so important!). I may have covered it in a post about something largely unrelated.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
A rambling melange of pop-culture.
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An appeals court decided to more carefully consider its verdict, allowing Bratz to stay on the shelves in the meantime.
One judge called the original order, awarding 100% of the line to Mattel because the designer who created them was in their employ at the time he did so, "Draconian."
The companies have been ordered to try and work things out between one another, but the judges have given no clear guidelines as to how they should so so.
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