"A BLACK SPIRAL NOTEBOOK"

The jury is in. The JURY IS DEFINITELY IN on the much anticipated decision in the Federal Lawsuit/Battle between Mattel and MGA. The Battle of the Dolls. A proverbial cage fight it was too pitting the blond bombshell, Barbie vs. the young hotties, Bratz.

In a decision handed down Thursday, July 17th in U.S. District Court, Central District, in Riverside, Calif., the jury agreed with Mattel that the original designs for the Bratz dolls were created by a former Mattel doll designer while still employed by Mattel.

Nevertheless, as there often is, there may be grounds for appeal by MGA with respect to the jury deadlock on the issue of whether or not Mattel owned four of its former employee's drawings from A BLACK SPIRAL NOTEBOOK.

Certainly not helpful to MGA's case was crucial documentary evidence uncovered by Mattel's counsel, namely, an email from 2002 sent by MGA's chief executive, Isaac Larian, to certain employees that there must be no mention of Mattel, any of their properties, the designer or Bratz.

The separate damages phase is set to start next week.

Bryant v. Mattel, CV04-9049 SGL (C.D. Cal, filed 2004)