Legal fees from the court dispute pitting Mattel Inc. against MGA Entertainment Inc. over the rights to the Bratz doll line have eclipsed $90 million.
MGA has accumulated $63 million in legal bills since the lawsuit was filed in 2004, while Mattel has racked up about $30 million in the first half of this year, according to court records and financial disclosures.
A jury last month awarded Mattel $100 million in damages in its copyright infringement lawsuit against MGA.
Mattel attorneys have said the toy giant will ask U.S. District Judge Stephen G. Larson to consider an injunction when court resumes later this month.
Larson put a stay on the case so attorneys could talk about a settlement after he voiced concern that litigation costs could harm the companies’ operations.
MGA’s revelation of its legal fees came in documents in a lawsuit it recently filed against several of its insurance carriers, accusing them of refusing to pay the company’s attorney fees in the Bratz court fight.
Mattel’s fee costs were revealed by stock analyst Margaret Whitfield, who took part in an investment-outlook conference call with the company’s executives.
If an agreement isn’t reached, attorneys will prepare for a new phase of the trial in which Mattel accuses MGA of stealing trade secrets and MGA alleges Mattel made products that too closely resemble Bratz.
