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Mattel awarded $100 million

A federal jury awarded Mattel Inc. $100 million in damages on Tuesday in a federal copyright lawsuit that pitted the house of Barbie against MGA Entertainment Inc., the maker of the saucy Bratz dolls.

Van Nuys-based MGA and its chief executive officer, Isaac Larian, were ordered to pay a total of $90 million in three causes of action related to Mattel's employment contract with designer Carter Bryant, who developed the Bratz concept.

The jury also ordered MGA, Larian and subsidiary MGA Hong Kong to pay a total of $10 million for copyright infringement.

MGA contends that the three awards related to the contract were duplicative and said it plans to ask a judge to set total damages at no more than $40 million.

In a victory for MGA, the jury did not award any punitive damages and found that neither Larian nor MGA acted willfully when they employed Bryant, a finding that could have dramatically increased the damages.

U.S. District Judge Stephen G   Read Full Article...