Mattel Sued Over Fairy Toys Concept
Mattel Inc. has been accused of stealing the concept for fairy-based toys for its Cabbage Patch dolls from an animation group, Gunther-Wahl Productions Inc.
Gunther-Wahl said it pitched its “Flutter Faeries†television show and toy line to Mattel in 1993. Mattel passed on the idea and kept copies of the materials, the company said in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Gunther-Wahl claimed that Mattel in 2000 released a series of Cabbage Patch Butterfly Fairies and Garden Fairies dolls that incorporated “significant elements†of the “Flutter Faeries†idea. It seeks unspecified damages.
A Mattel spokeswoman said the company doesn’t comment on pending litigation.
Shares of the El Segundo-based toy maker rose 24 cents to $19.04 on the New York Stock Exchange.
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