Opinion ID: 777291
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: prior litigation between mattel and cdc

Text: 5 Mattel is a toy company that is perhaps best recognized as the manufacturer of the world-famous Barbie doll. Since Barbie's creation in 1959, Mattel has outfitted her in fashions and accessories that have evolved over time. In perhaps the most classic embodiment, Barbie is depicted as a slender-figured doll with long blonde hair and blue eyes. Mattel has sought to protect its intellectual property by registering various Barbie-related copyrights, including copyrights protecting the doll's head sculpture. Mattel has vigorously litigated against putative infringers. 6 In 1990, Claudene Christian, then an undergraduate student at the University of Southern California (USC), decided to create and market a collegiate cheerleader doll. The doll, which the parties refer to throughout their papers as Claudene, had blonde hair and blue eyes and was outfitted to resemble a USC cheerleader. 7 Mattel soon learned about the Claudene doll. After concluding that it infringed certain Barbie copyrights, Mattel brought an administrative action before the United States Customs Service in 1996 in which it alleged that the Claudene doll, manufactured abroad, had pirated the head sculpture of the Teen Talk and SuperStar Barbies. The Customs Service ruled in CDC's favor and subsequently released a shipment of Claudene dolls. 1 Undaunted, Mattel commenced a federal court action in 1997 in which it once again alleged that CDC infringed various of Mattel's copyrights. At the time, Claudene Christian was president of CDC and Harry Christian was listed as co-founder of the company and chief financial officer. CDC retained Hicks as its counsel. After the court dismissed CDC's multiple counterclaims, the case was settled. Mattel released CDC from any copyright infringement liability in exchange for, among other things, a stipulation that Mattel was free to challenge CDC's alleged copyright of the Claudene doll should CDC or any successor in interest challenge Mattel's right to market its Barbie dolls.