Orly Lobel on Mattel v. MGA and Innovation Policy

In this episode, Orly Lobel, Don Weckstein Professor of Labor and Employment Law at the University of San Diego School of Law, discusses her book "You Don't Own Me: How Mattel v. MGA Entertainment Exposed Barbie's Dark Side," which is published by W.W. Norton & Company. Lobel begins by explaining the background of Mattel v. MGA, which pitted the maker of the iconic Barbie doll against the maker of the upstart Bratz dolls. She describes how the enigmatic Mattel designer Carter Bryant came up with the Bratz concept and took it to MGA, which turned it into a blockbuster success, the first series of dolls to challenge Barbie's market dominance. She discusses on how Mattel tried to use contract and copyright law to wrest Bratz away from MGA, and the epic legal battle that follows. And she reflects on how the case should inform our understanding of innovation and competition policy. Lobel is on Twitter at @OrlyLobel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.