In the battle of the dollmakers, a federal jury on Thursday handed a major victory to the house that Barbie built, finding that Mattel Inc. designer Carter Bryant created the hugely lucrative Bratz dolls while he worked at the company under an exclusivity contract.
The jury in Riverside, Calif., also found that MGA Entertainment Inc., which debuted the Bratz dolls in 2001, aided and abetted the designer's breach of the Mattel contract. And in a personal blow to MGA Chief Executive Isaac Larian, the jury specifically decided that the CEO played a role in the contract breach.
The verdict opens the door to Mattel claiming damages or even a stake in the line of dolls, which analysts estimate has earned MGA from $500 million to $2 billion a year.
Mattel stock gained 4 percent in after-hours trading, rising 73 cents, to $19.01.
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