Mattel Beats Bratz Doll Trade Secret Suit By MGA Entertainment

MGA Entertainment Inc. waited too long to file claims against Mattel Inc. for allegedly stealing trade secrets related to its line of Bratz dolls, a California appeals court ruled.

The three-year time limit to file a claim for misappropriation of trade secrets began running by August 2007, when MGA made a counterclaim in a federal case between the companies over the ownership of the Bratz dolls, the court said.

The federal counterclaim shows that MGA discovered the misappropriation by 2007, triggering the filing clock, the court said.

MGA filed the suit in the Los Angeles County Superior Court Jan. 13, ...