You Dont Own Me, Orly Lobel
You Dont Own Me, Orly Lobel
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You Don't Own Me
How Mattel v. MGA Entertainment Exposed Barbie's Dark Side

Author: Orly Lobel

Narrator: Karen White

Unabridged: 11 hr 17 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Ascent Audio

Published: 04/10/2018


Synopsis

When Carter Bryant began designing what would become the billion-dollar line of Bratz dolls, he was taking time off from his job at Mattel, where he designed outfits for Barbie. Later, back at Mattel, he sold his concept for Bratz to rival company MGA. Law professor Orly Lobel reveals the colorful story behind the ensuing decade-long court battle.

This entertaining and provocative work pits audacious MGA against behemoth Mattel, shows how an idea turns into a product, and explores the two different versions of womanhood, represented by traditional all-American Barbie and her defiant, anti-establishment rival—the only doll to come close to outselling her. In an era when workers may be asked to sign contracts granting their employers the rights to and income resulting from their ideas—whether conceived during work hours or on their own time—Lobel's deeply researched story is a riveting and thought-provoking contribution to the contentious debate over creativity and intellectual property.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Sharon

I noticed that many people gave this book glowing reviews. I'm afraid I can't. The book promised a lot but simply did not follow through. I thought I was going to get a step by step account of how one man who worked for Mattel developed his own ideas for a doll, different from Barbie, then sold his id......more

Goodreads review by Brice

In 1998, Carter Bryant, a doll designer on leave from Mattel, was working in a mall in Kimberling City, Missouri. One day, on the way to his parents home, he saw a group of teenage girls walking together. Bryant was struck by their confidence and fashion sense. Inspired by the girls, he began makin......more

Goodreads review by Chloé

Frankly, I am torn between giving this book 3 or 4 stars. On the one hand, I thought that the author did an amazing job at explaining the legal aspects of the court battles between Mattel and MGA. All the important terms were well defined and illustrated, and I learned a whole lot about copyright an......more

Goodreads review by Steve

This great read recounts how Mattel’s Barbie doll was “discovered” in Germany by Mattel’s founders and then exploited to maximum profitability. Along the way, Mattel conducts scorched-earth litigation campaigns against any person or entity that would dare compete with a doll concept they first misap......more