Mattel to appeal $309 million copyright award to rival MGA Entertainment

Mattel Inc, the world's biggest toymaker yesterday said that it will appeal a federal judge's award of more than $309 million to rival company MGA Entertainment in its six-year legal battle that pitted its Barbie doll against MGA's Bratz dolls.

The El Segundo California-based toy giant said in a statement that it intends to appeal the ruling to safeguard its popular line of doll that brings in more than 80 per cent of its profits.

A federal judge ordered Mattel to pay MGA $107.8 million in attorneys' fees, over $32 million in other legal costs and $170 million dollars in damages arising from the six-year long legal battle.

The present ruling, which overturned an earlier judgment, comes after a three-month trial found that Los Angeles-based MGA did not steal any secrets from Mattel and that Mattel did not own the idea for the Bratz dolls.

The ruling is a reversal of the August 2008 findings of a federal jury in California, which ruled in favour of Mattel and awarded it $100 million in damages in a copyright lawsuit against MGA. (See: Barbie-maker Mattel wins $100 million damages over copyright infringement)

The August ruling was overturned by the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in April and awarded MGA $88 million in damages, leading to the retrial.