The Washington Times

Economy Briefs

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Mattel must post $315M while ruling on appeal

SANTA ANA | A federal judge ordered toy giant Mattel Inc. to post a $315 million bond while it appeals a $310 million award to rival toymaker MGA Entertainment Inc. in a long-running legal dispute over who owns the copyright to the popular Bratz doll line.

In his ruling Tuesday, U.S. District Judge David O. Carter gave El Segundo-based Mattel until Aug. 23 to post the bond.

MGA had wanted Mattel to post an even higher amount as a guarantee it could pay the $310 million should it lose on appeal.

Earlier this month, Judge Carter ordered Mattel to pay nearly $310 million in damages and attorney fees after a jury found in April that the company stole trade secrets from the Los Angeles-based MGA.

It was a surprising twist in the case, which originated in 2004 when Mattel first sued over ownership of MGA’s flagship Bratz doll line. Mattel alleged that Bratz designer Carter Bryant had come up with the idea for the pouty-lipped, urban-inspired doll while working at Mattel and secretly took the idea to its rival.

A jury ruled in Mattel’s favor after a first trial in 2008, but the case was overturned on appeal and sent back for retrial.

MINNESOTA

Cargill resumes turkey production at plant

MINNETONKA | Minnesota-based Cargill Inc. has resumed production of ground turkey at an Arkansas plant linked to a salmonella outbreak.

Cargill spokesman Mike Martin says limited production has resumed after the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved additional anti-bacterial safety measures.

Federal officials say the salmonella outbreak has sickened 107 people in 31 states as of Aug. 11.

Cargill recalled about 36 million pounds of ground turkey on Aug. 3, nearly five months after the first illness was reported. Cargill, of Minnetonka, shut down operations at the Springdale, Ark., turkey processing plant at that time.

Cargill faces another lawsuit connected to the outbreak. The Star Tribune reports that an Oregon couple is suing the company because their 1-year-old daughter fell sick after eating ground turkey meatballs.

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