Juror's racial slur delays battle of toy giants

David Colke July 28, 2008

ONE OF THE jurors in the Barbie v Bratz trial, in which the toy giant Mattel has scored a big victory over its rival MGA Entertainment, was removed on Friday for making an ethnic slur about Isaac Larian, the chief executive of MGA, who was born in Iran.

The remark came during jury deliberations in the first phase of the trial, which ended on July 18. The jury found that MGA, and specifically Mr Larian, had helped the creator of Bratz, Carter Bryant, who at the time was working as a Mattel designer on the toy giant's Barbie line, breach his contract.

The trial is in the damages phase, during which Mattel is expected to ask for more than $US1billion ($1.04 billion). [More]