Bodog Beat

The Bratz dolls will be a thing of the past after Christmas. (callme_crochet at Flickr Image)

The fat lady has sung for the Bratz empire. After a long battle with Barbie's maker Mattel, yesterday a federal judge banned MGA from making and selling the Bratz dolls. The Bratz, the rival of Mattel's Barbie doll were created by Carter Bryant, who was apparently working for Mattel when he came up with the concept for The Bratz. Although Bryant had argued that the drawings for the dolls were made while he was on an eight-month hiatus from Mattel, the jury decided that The Bratz company, MGA, lost the rights to all drawings and "sculpts" of the Bratz which were then turned over to Mattel. Mattel was also awarded $150 million, not the $2 billion they were seeking, but a big chunk-a change.

The judge did allow MGA to wait until after the holiday season to remove the Bratz dolls from stores.

Mattel attorney Michael Zeller said "It's a pretty sweeping victory. They have no right to use Bratz for any goods or services at all."