Jury Awards Mattel $100 Million In Bratz Doll Case

August 26, 2008 6:28 p.m. EST

Riverside, CA (AHN) - A California jury on Tuesday awarded Mattel Inc. $100 million in damages related to a design infringement case against MGA Entertainment over its Bratz dolls.

The world's largest toymaker was seeking up to $1 billion in damages. The jury found MGA liable for copyright infringement, but decided that MGA's infringement was not willful and did not award any punitive damages.

The amount of damages that would be rewarded weighed heavily on the jury's decision on one key aspect. Was MGA responsible for damages on just the first four Bratz dolls or for all subsequent dolls as well?

Last month, the same jury found that Bratz creator Carter Bryant came up with the first four Bratz designs while still an employee at Mattel Inc. The first four dolls generated $4 million in profit and that is the figure the jury used to make their award decision.

According to Reuters, MGA attorney Thomas Nolan said the verdict was "a clear message that (the jury) wants these parties to fight in the marketplace. We are disappointed that they awarded any damages, however, it is a rebuke to Mattel's aggressive and overreaching tactics."

The Bratz line has provided roughly $1 billion in profits and interest for MGA Entertainment since its 2001 launch.

Shares of Mattel fell 3.6 percent in Tuesday afterhours trading.