Who would have thought plastic dolls could spark a multi-million dollar legal battle…. But that’s what’s going down between Mattel – (the house of Barbie) – and MGA Entertainment – (the makers of Bratz dolls).

The companies have spent $153 million so far, in a feud over who should own the Bratz license…  Apparently the guy who designed the dolls in the late ‘90s, was actually working for the Barbie folks at the time, while secretly drawing the Bratz designs for the rival company.

Now in case you’re not in the know… Bratz are those big-eyed, big-haired, pouty-lipped dolls that took the girls toy market by storm in 2001…
Some people praised them for breaking from the skinny, blonde Barbie tradition: the Bratz dolls are very multicultural, and possibly a little more realistic in their proportions… But others say they’re far too sexual in their appearance.

• What are your thoughts on this topic? If you’ve got daughters, then these companies are essentially warring for the rights to market these dolls to your girls…

• Are your daughters Bratz fans, or Barbie devotees?

• Or are they neither? I know some families have banned Bratz dolls because of the sexual or trashy image they feel they portray…

• What about Barbie dolls… Are they any better? They’ve long been criticized for being a bad role model in terms of body image.

• Or are people getting carried away with these arguments… Is it just innocent child’s play?

• Tell us your thoughts… Christmas is coming, and if you haven’t made up your mind about these dolls yet, you may need to pretty soon…
 

* If you’re from the Barbie generation, did your parents take a particular stance about Barbies… And what do you think of the dolls now?