fran ilich on Tue, 7 Dec 1999 02:27:06 +0100 (CET)


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<nettime> mattel sues publisher over barbie essays


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Mattel sues publisher over Barbie essays
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Mattel, the maker of the Barbie doll, is suing the publishers of ''Adios,
Barbie'', a collection of essays by female writers about body image and
self-esteem. 

But the suit, filed in a US federal court last week, does not accuse Seal
Press, a Seattle publishing house, of running the doll's good name through
the mud. Rather, it charges that the publisher infringed on Mattel's
trademark by using Barbie's hairbrush, high heel, dress and foot in the
cover illustration. 

It accuses Seal, book distributors and other companies involved with the
book of trading on Barbie's recognition, even though only one of the 26
essays - ''Klaus Barbie, and Other Dolls I'd Like to See'', referring to
the Nazi war criminal - talks about the doll's impact on culture and
image. 

The publisher of Seal Press, Faith Conlon, said the suit was ''without
merit''. ''I find it astonishing that we're being sued for a book that's
an educational work intended to empower young women and help them develop
a more positive self-image,'' Ms Conlon said. 

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/financial/media-talk.html - NY
Times


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ilich.
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