IP and Law

Mattel sues China — not the country

Posted by Jeremy Goldkorn, August 22, 2007 11:14 AM
chinabarbie.com.jpg
China Barbie
Mattel and China are in the news again, but this time it's not because of lead paint on Mattel's toys: Instead, the toy manufacturer is suing a pornographic website that features a woman who calls herself China Barbie for infringing on the trademark of their long-popular Barbie doll toy.


According to the Associated Press:

In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, Mattel said the Web site for an adult entertainer named China Barbie has tried to benefit from Mattel's success with the 48-year-old line of dolls...

...According to the lawsuit, the offending Web site is registered to Global China Networks LLC and is operated by Terri Gibson, a Hollywood, Fla., resident.

The lawsuit said Global China Networks used a domain name containing the word "barbie" in a "bad faith attempt to profit from Mattel's Barbie trademarks" and had damaged Mattel's good name.

Mattel are only seeking $100,000 in damages and that the court order that any profits Global China Networks achieved be given to Mattel. So by their own calculations, China Barbie has not damaged the toy giant as much as China sub standard lead paint contractor (which will apparently lose them $30 million), for which Mattel chief executive Bob Eckert is apologizing profusely, Youtube style.

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