Mattel, Inc. v. MCA Records, Inc.

E709613

Mattel, Inc. v. MCA Records, Inc. is a landmark U.S. copyright and trademark case in which the Ninth Circuit, in an opinion by Judge Alex Kozinski, held that the song "Barbie Girl" was protected parody and did not infringe Mattel’s rights in the Barbie doll.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Mattel, Inc. v. MCA Records, Inc. canonical 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Ninth Circuit case ⓘ
United States court case ⓘ
copyright case ⓘ
trademark case ⓘ
appliesTest Rogers test ⓘ
areaOfLaw entertainment law ⓘ
intellectual property law ⓘ
citation 296 F.3d 894 ⓘ
63 U.S.P.Q.2d 1715 ⓘ
country United States ⓘ
court United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ⓘ
decisionDate 2002 ⓘ
defendant Aqua ⓘ
MCA Music Scandinavia AB ⓘ
MCA Records, Inc. ⓘ
linked to: MCA Records

Universal Music Group, Inc. ⓘ
docketNumber No. 99-56003 ⓘ
famousQuote "The parties are advised to chill." ⓘ
holding Mattel’s trademark claims were barred by the First Amendment ⓘ
the song "Barbie Girl" does not dilute the Barbie trademark ⓘ
the song "Barbie Girl" does not infringe Mattel’s Barbie trademark ⓘ
the song "Barbie Girl" is a protected parody under the First Amendment ⓘ
linked to: Barbie Girl
industryContext music industry ⓘ
toy industry ⓘ
involvesCopyright Barbie-related intellectual property ⓘ
involvesTrademark Barbie ⓘ
linked to: Barbie doll
involvesWork Barbie Girl ⓘ
Barbie doll ⓘ
jurisdiction Ninth Circuit ⓘ
United States ⓘ
languageOfOpinion English ⓘ
legalPrinciple parody can be a defense to trademark infringement and dilution claims ⓘ
trademark law does not confer a right to control language ⓘ
use of a trademark in the title and lyrics of an expressive work can be protected by the First Amendment ⓘ
notableFor articulating strong First Amendment protection against trademark claims ⓘ
defining the scope of parody protection for pop music ⓘ
opinionBy Alex Kozinski ⓘ
plaintiff Mattel, Inc. ⓘ
linked to: Mattel
relatedCase Rogers v. Grimaldi ⓘ
result Mattel’s claims were dismissed ⓘ
judgment in favor of MCA Records and other defendants ⓘ
subjectMatter First Amendment ⓘ
copyright law ⓘ
fair use ⓘ
parody ⓘ
trademark law ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Alex Kozinski → notableCaseInvolvement → Mattel, Inc. v. MCA Records, Inc. ⓘ