MGA Entertainment
Encyclopedia
MGA Entertainment is a manufacturer of children's toys and entertainment products founded in 1979. Its products include the Bratz
fashion doll
line, Lalaloopsy, Kachooz!, Moxie Girlz, Moxie Teenz, Hugwallas, BFC, Ink. and Rescue Pets. MGAE also owns The Little Tikes
Company. MGA is headquartered at 16300 Roscoe Boulevard in the Lake Balboa
area of the San Fernando Valley
region of Los Angeles
, California
, United States
.
, Moxie Girlz
, Lalaloopsy, Moxie Teenz, BFC, Ink., Rescue Pets
, My e-Pets, Legend of Nara, HugWallas and KaChooz.
is MGA's most successful product line, with various spin-offs from the original teenage dolls, including miniature versions (Lil' Bratz), kid versions (Bratz Kidz) baby dolls (Bratz Babyz
), pets (Bratz Petz), tiny baby dolls with pets (Lil Angelz), two feature films (Bratz: The Movie
and Bratz Girls Really Rock) and numerous DVDs and soundtracks. The Kidz and Lil Angelz have been renamed to "4*Ever" due to a lawsuit.
In 2009, a new doll line named Moxie Girlz
was introduced. These Moxie girlz are similar, but legally distinct, from the Bratz line of dolls. This is to circumvent the ruling from the lawsuit described below.
The Moxie Girlz were intended to replace Bratz, but when they came back, the Moxle Girlz became a separate line of their own. The line includes Avery, Lexa, Sophina, Bria and more characters, and has been around since 2009. They are similar to the Bratz
line, only this line shows more modest fashions that typical tweens would wear.
The Moxie Teenz are a spin-off from the Girlz, and includes college girls with unique skills. The line launched in Fall 2010, the characters Melrose, Tristen, Arizona and Bijou were in the first two lines, and new characters Leigh and Gavin joined in Fall 2011.
franchise introduced in 2006. There was an accompanying movie entitled Betsy Bubblegum's Journey through Yummi-Land. The franchise includes a toy line of the character's friends and pets. The Yummi-Land Soda Pop Girls were introduced in 2006 and include the "Soda Pop Girls," "Creme Soda Pop Girls," "Candy Pop Girls," "Flower Pop Girls," "Ice Cream Pop Girls," "Smoothie Pop Girls," "Sundae Pop Girls," and the Holiday special edition doll "Paris Peppermint Creme".
line of audio games.
"My ePets" is a plush animal toy franchise also launched in 2006. Each plush comes with a code to activate an online version of the animal on the http://www.myepets.com interactive web site. Users play games, care for their pets, and more.
In 2011, HugWallas, animal plushes with arms that snap together to 'Hug' people, were launched. They come in different sizes.
MGA Entertainment also owns Little Tikes (www.littletikes.com), a popular infant, pre-school and young child toy line.
ruled against MGA Entertainment and for Mattel
Inc. in a battle over the creation rights of the Bratz doll line. The jury in the case determined that Carter Bryant, creator of the Bratz doll line, had violated his exclusivity contract and had designed the dolls while he was still working at Mattel. Mattel was awarded $100 million US in damages, far less than the $1 billion they were seeking.
On December 3, 2008, U.S. District Judge Stephen Larson granted an injunction requested by Mattel, which effectively banned MGA from manufacturing and selling Bratz dolls, though he allowed MGA to continue selling Bratz through the end of the 2008 holiday season. Larson determined that all of MGA's Bratz produced from 2001 through 2008, except for the Kidz and Lil Angelz lines, infringed on Mattel's intellectual property. Larson allowed MGA to continue to manufacture the Kidz and Lil Angelz lines, provided that they not be promoted under the Bratz brand. He also stipulated that MGA must, at their own cost, remove all Bratz merchandise from retailers' shelves, reimburse retailers for said merchandise, and turn all recalled product over to Mattel for disposal. In addition, MGA was to destroy all marketing materials, molds, and other materials that had been used in the manufacture and sale of Bratz. MGA immediately filed for a permanent stay of the injunction and, on February 11, 2009, was granted a stay through at least the end of 2009.
On December 10, 2009, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit granted MGA an immediate stay of the injunction, effectively halting the recall of Bratz product, which was to have begun on January 21, 2010. In their initial ruling, the Court found Larson's previous ruling to be unusually "draconian," questioned why Mattel had simply been handed ownership of the entire franchise rather than be awarded a stake in the ownership of the franchise or a share of the royalties from future Bratz sales, and ordered MGA and Mattel into mediation.
In April 2011, a federal court jury in Santa Ana, California, awarded MGA $88.4 Million and ruled that MGA did not steal the idea for Bratz dolls from Mattell or infringe its copyright. Additionally, the jury found Mattel liable for stealing closely held trade secrets from MGA and other toymakers.
Bratz
Bratz is an American line of fashion dolls and merchandise manufactured by MGA Entertainment. Four original 10" dolls were released in 2001 - Cloe, Jade, Sasha and Yasmin...
fashion doll
Fashion doll
Fashion dolls are dolls primarily designed to be dressed to reflect fashion trends. They are manufactured both as toys for children to play with and as collectibles for adult collectors. The dolls are usually modeled after teen girls or adult women, though child, male, and even some non-human...
line, Lalaloopsy, Kachooz!, Moxie Girlz, Moxie Teenz, Hugwallas, BFC, Ink. and Rescue Pets. MGAE also owns The Little Tikes
Little Tikes
Little Tikes is an American-based manufacturer of children's toys, with headquarters and manufacturing located in Hudson, Ohio. The company also has other manufacturing and distribution facilities in Asia and Europe...
Company. MGA is headquartered at 16300 Roscoe Boulevard in the Lake Balboa
Lake Balboa, Los Angeles, California
Lake Balboa is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California.It is bordered by the following Los Angeles communities: Encino to the south, Van Nuys to the east, Reseda to the west, and Northridge and North Hills to the north.There was debate about the official...
area of the San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
region of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Products
The complete product line includes BratzBratz
Bratz is an American line of fashion dolls and merchandise manufactured by MGA Entertainment. Four original 10" dolls were released in 2001 - Cloe, Jade, Sasha and Yasmin...
, Moxie Girlz
Moxie Girlz
Moxie Girlz is a line of fashion dolls introduced by MGA Entertainment in 2009. These dolls are targeted at girls ages 6 to 15. The four original 10.6-inch dolls are named Lexa, Bria, Avery, and Sophina, with others named Kellan, Monet, and Merin...
, Lalaloopsy, Moxie Teenz, BFC, Ink., Rescue Pets
Rescue Pets
Rescue Pets are a plush toy series manufactured and marketed by MGA Entertainment. They are mainly dogs, but can be other animals such as a cat or penguin. The series was released in 2006 with the first Rescue Pets and Rescue Pets Puppies...
, My e-Pets, Legend of Nara, HugWallas and KaChooz.
Bratz
Introduced in 2001, BratzBratz
Bratz is an American line of fashion dolls and merchandise manufactured by MGA Entertainment. Four original 10" dolls were released in 2001 - Cloe, Jade, Sasha and Yasmin...
is MGA's most successful product line, with various spin-offs from the original teenage dolls, including miniature versions (Lil' Bratz), kid versions (Bratz Kidz) baby dolls (Bratz Babyz
Bratz Babyz
Bratz Babyz is a brand name under which a series of dolls are made.It is a subset of the main Bratz line in which all of the dolls are babies. The brand is split into two lines, the regular Bratz Babyz and the Bratz Big Babyz .-Bratz Babyz:In 2004, the first Bratz Babyz were made...
), pets (Bratz Petz), tiny baby dolls with pets (Lil Angelz), two feature films (Bratz: The Movie
Bratz: The Movie
Bratz: The Movie is a live-action feature film based on the Bratz line of cartoon characters and dolls. It was released to American theaters on August 3, 2007. It was co-produced by MGA Entertainment, Avi Arad Productions, and Crystal Sky Pictures teamed up. Crystal Sky Pictures financed the film,...
and Bratz Girls Really Rock) and numerous DVDs and soundtracks. The Kidz and Lil Angelz have been renamed to "4*Ever" due to a lawsuit.
Moxie Girlz and Moxie Teenz
Main article - Moxie GirlzMoxie Girlz
Moxie Girlz is a line of fashion dolls introduced by MGA Entertainment in 2009. These dolls are targeted at girls ages 6 to 15. The four original 10.6-inch dolls are named Lexa, Bria, Avery, and Sophina, with others named Kellan, Monet, and Merin...
In 2009, a new doll line named Moxie Girlz
Moxie Girlz
Moxie Girlz is a line of fashion dolls introduced by MGA Entertainment in 2009. These dolls are targeted at girls ages 6 to 15. The four original 10.6-inch dolls are named Lexa, Bria, Avery, and Sophina, with others named Kellan, Monet, and Merin...
was introduced. These Moxie girlz are similar, but legally distinct, from the Bratz line of dolls. This is to circumvent the ruling from the lawsuit described below.
The Moxie Girlz were intended to replace Bratz, but when they came back, the Moxle Girlz became a separate line of their own. The line includes Avery, Lexa, Sophina, Bria and more characters, and has been around since 2009. They are similar to the Bratz
Bratz
Bratz is an American line of fashion dolls and merchandise manufactured by MGA Entertainment. Four original 10" dolls were released in 2001 - Cloe, Jade, Sasha and Yasmin...
line, only this line shows more modest fashions that typical tweens would wear.
The Moxie Teenz are a spin-off from the Girlz, and includes college girls with unique skills. The line launched in Fall 2010, the characters Melrose, Tristen, Arizona and Bijou were in the first two lines, and new characters Leigh and Gavin joined in Fall 2011.
KaChooz
The KaChooz were introduced in 2011 - these are pencil toppers with wild hair. Each KaChooz character is in a group known as a Moop, and it's the buyer's job to reunite all of the characters in their Moops. Examples of Moops are Rainbow, Mohawk, Nervous, Highlights, Punk and 2-faced - each Moop has a different personality that the KaChooz are associated with.Lalaloopsy
In 2010, MGA Entertainment came out with a line of Dolls called Lalaloopsy. The dolls are a modern twist on rag dolls, with a tagline of "Sew Magical, Sew Cute". On December 7, 2010, Lalaloopsy had the People's Play Award for large dolls. Originally known as Bitty Buttons, the story behind them is that they were made out of a special fabric. (Crumbs Sugar Cookie was made from a bakers apron, for example)Yummi-Land
Yummi-Land is a dollDoll
A doll is a model of a human being, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have traditionally been used in magic and religious rituals throughout the world, and traditional dolls made of materials like clay and wood are found in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe. The earliest documented dolls...
franchise introduced in 2006. There was an accompanying movie entitled Betsy Bubblegum's Journey through Yummi-Land. The franchise includes a toy line of the character's friends and pets. The Yummi-Land Soda Pop Girls were introduced in 2006 and include the "Soda Pop Girls," "Creme Soda Pop Girls," "Candy Pop Girls," "Flower Pop Girls," "Ice Cream Pop Girls," "Smoothie Pop Girls," "Sundae Pop Girls," and the Holiday special edition doll "Paris Peppermint Creme".
Misc.
In 2000, MGA Entertainment made an audio game called Super Click-It which is similar to the Bop ItBop It
Bop It toys are a line of audio games based on concepts originally patented by Dan Klitsner. Bop It was licensed to Hasbro and further developed there by a number of designers including Bob Welch....
line of audio games.
"My ePets" is a plush animal toy franchise also launched in 2006. Each plush comes with a code to activate an online version of the animal on the http://www.myepets.com interactive web site. Users play games, care for their pets, and more.
In 2011, HugWallas, animal plushes with arms that snap together to 'Hug' people, were launched. They come in different sizes.
MGA Entertainment also owns Little Tikes (www.littletikes.com), a popular infant, pre-school and young child toy line.
Lawsuit
On July 17, 2008, the U.S. District Court in RiversideRiverside, California
Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...
ruled against MGA Entertainment and for Mattel
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
Inc. in a battle over the creation rights of the Bratz doll line. The jury in the case determined that Carter Bryant, creator of the Bratz doll line, had violated his exclusivity contract and had designed the dolls while he was still working at Mattel. Mattel was awarded $100 million US in damages, far less than the $1 billion they were seeking.
On December 3, 2008, U.S. District Judge Stephen Larson granted an injunction requested by Mattel, which effectively banned MGA from manufacturing and selling Bratz dolls, though he allowed MGA to continue selling Bratz through the end of the 2008 holiday season. Larson determined that all of MGA's Bratz produced from 2001 through 2008, except for the Kidz and Lil Angelz lines, infringed on Mattel's intellectual property. Larson allowed MGA to continue to manufacture the Kidz and Lil Angelz lines, provided that they not be promoted under the Bratz brand. He also stipulated that MGA must, at their own cost, remove all Bratz merchandise from retailers' shelves, reimburse retailers for said merchandise, and turn all recalled product over to Mattel for disposal. In addition, MGA was to destroy all marketing materials, molds, and other materials that had been used in the manufacture and sale of Bratz. MGA immediately filed for a permanent stay of the injunction and, on February 11, 2009, was granted a stay through at least the end of 2009.
On December 10, 2009, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit granted MGA an immediate stay of the injunction, effectively halting the recall of Bratz product, which was to have begun on January 21, 2010. In their initial ruling, the Court found Larson's previous ruling to be unusually "draconian," questioned why Mattel had simply been handed ownership of the entire franchise rather than be awarded a stake in the ownership of the franchise or a share of the royalties from future Bratz sales, and ordered MGA and Mattel into mediation.
In April 2011, a federal court jury in Santa Ana, California, awarded MGA $88.4 Million and ruled that MGA did not steal the idea for Bratz dolls from Mattell or infringe its copyright. Additionally, the jury found Mattel liable for stealing closely held trade secrets from MGA and other toymakers.