Talk to the Hand

Barbie's waist is too small to support her torso. Is that why Mattel is so overprotective?

Most recently, the company appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to hear its trademark complaint against MCA Records for the 1997 Aqua song "Barbie Girl." The justices have rejected the case.

Comments

[Kevin Carson]

I think Mattel is gunshy about a lawsuit because it got burned so badly fighting the "White Trash Barbie" parody a few years back (black roots, cutoff jeans, a cigarette, and baby on hip).

[Anonymous]

Mattel would have been better off suing on trademark infringement. Then I could have enjoyed Universal defending itself on those charges while at the same time using the courts to go after downloaders.

So maybe consumers did the right thing after all. "Gee, this song sounds like a trademark infringement, I'd better download it instead of buying it so no one gets hurt."