Has Barbie Delivered a Knockout Blow to the Bratz?

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Left undecided, however, was what would happen to the Bratz brand. On Dec. 3, Judge Larson essentially handed over control of the Bratz to Mattel. In a statement, Barbie's maker said the ruling "underscores what Mattel has said all along — that MGA should not be allowed to profit from its wrongdoing." But Mattel hasn't said what it will do with the dolls. The toy company could shut the Bratz down, produce them itself or strike an agreement for MGA to continue making the dolls under a license. As for MGA, a family-owned company that owes half its income to Bratz products, it is "currently assessing [its] options," Larian says. "I am open to a reasonable resolution of the issues." In February, the two companies will participate in a hearing to determine just what that resolution will be.

Sabrina Haylock, 7, has an opinion. She was cruising the toy aisles with her mom at a Target in West Hollywood, Calif., three weeks before Christmas when she got the news about the Bratz' uncertain future. "Barbie is a princess, and the Bratz are more wild," she said. "You need both."