Barbie, Veuve Clicquot lose trademark battles

[MrPrax]

Terrible 'low-key MSM headline, I know...but good news for a change...

Barbie, Veuve Clicquot lose trademark battles

The Supreme Court broke the heart of the world's most famous doll Friday morning, ruling that Mattel Inc. does not have the exclusive right to use the Barbie name.

In a ground-breaking intellectual property decision, the court ruled 8-0 that, while Barbie has achieved a distinctiveness within the doll world, that does not give it the right to prevent very different businesses from using the name.

In a second related case, the court again came down on the side of the underdog - a Quebec women's-clothing line that adopted a name similar to a famous French champagne-maker, Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin.

There was no evidence that consumers were confused by the two names, the court said, nor is future confusion likely when two products are so different.

The Gag and Pail

Barbie or 'Barbara Millicent Roberts' started out as a German hooker

However, during a trip to Germany with her daughter, Handler discovered a German doll named Lilli in a shop window. The adult-figured Lilli doll was exactly what Handler had in mind, so she purchased three of them. She gave one to her daughter and took the others back to Mattel.

The Lilli doll was based on a popular character appearing in a comic strip drawn by Reinhard Beuthin for the newspaper Die Bild-Zeitung. Lilli was a fashionable "society girl" who knew what she wanted and wasn't above using men to get it. The Lilli doll was first sold in Germany in 1955. Although the doll was initially marketed to adult men in bars and tobacco shops, it eventually became popular with children, who enjoyed dressing her up in outfits that were available separately. The doll was so popular, she was even exported to other countries, including the United States.

At some point, Mattel acquired the rights to the Lilli doll. A new sculpt was designed (with help from engineer Jack Ryan), the concept was revamped, and the doll was given a new name: Barbie, after Handler's daughter, Barbara. The doll made its debut at the New York International American Toy Fair on March 9, 1959. (This date is also used as Barbie's official "birthday".)

Wikipedia Entry

Original Lilli Doll


(edited for clarity)

[IntravenousDemilo]

1. Mattel would probably have had a hard time suing, say, Klaus Barbie

...or Barbi(e) Benton.

Barbie was "born" the same day as Kato Kaelin, one day after Aidan Quinn, three days after Tom Arnold, five days after Kelly Lynch, and six days after me.

[Jazz2006]

2. That must mean that you share the same birthday as

my daughter ~ (month and day, that is, but not the year as my daughter was born in 1988.)

My dog gave birth to seven beautiful puppies on Barbie's 40th birthday in 1999, which is the only reason I know Barbie's birthday ~ lol.

[tuvor]

3. Can I play my Aqua CD again, without fear?

Ohhhh, it is a good day.

[MrPrax]

4. You may...

and the Ozzies can sleep easy tonight as well...