04.07.09

Rubber Ducks Tracked Around the World

Posted in Toys at 6:46 pm by Administrator

One of the more interesting stories that’s come about in the past several years about rubber ducks involves a shipping accident back in 1992 when tens of thousands of rubber ducks (along with other items) were lost to the seas. Since then, rubber ducks have turned up on the coasts of the United States to Great Britain and Australia.

What’s most interesting is that scientists have been tracking these ducks for years to see the time that certain ocean currents and patterns take to get from point A to point B. Below is a link from a 2007 CBSNews.com article about the ocean rubber ducks.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/07/31/eveningnews/main566138.shtml

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01.13.09

No More Bratz

Posted in Toys at 7:50 pm by Administrator

From about a month ago, this story was lost in the holiday mix of stories was the Mattel vs. MGA Entertainment, which makes the very popular line of Bratz dolls. Mattel has contended that the dolls were a rip-off from a former employee, and the courts have now agreed with Mattel.

“The ruling, filed Wednesday in federal court in Riverside, followed a jury’s finding that Bratz doll designer Carter Bryant developed the concept for the Bratz dolls while working for Mattel.

The same jury later awarded Mattel $10 million for copyright infringement and $90 million for breach of contract after a lengthy trial stemming from Mattel’s 2004 lawsuit ended in August.”

It’s fascinating that a company Mattel’s standing actually won a major ruling like this. Usually the big manufacturers are on the losing side of the issue.

USA Today, Mattel rival must quit making Bratz

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