© Copyright Acquisition International 2025 - All Rights Reserved.

Article Image - An Intellectual Property Masterclass by Barbie
Posted 13th September 2023

An Intellectual Property Masterclass by Barbie

You’d be forgiven for thinking that you’ve been living in a Barbie world in recent months. The famous Barbie doll and the Hollywood stars in the new Barbie film have been dominating our lives with inescapable headlines, film promotion activities, brand collaborations and social media campaigns.

Mouse Scroll AnimationScroll to keep reading

Let us help promote your business to a wider following.

An Intellectual Property Masterclass by Barbie
Intellectual Property

Laura Pearson, Intellectual Property Lawyer, Higgs LLP

You’d be forgiven for thinking that you’ve been living in a Barbie world in recent months. The famous Barbie doll and the Hollywood stars in the new Barbie film have been dominating our lives with inescapable headlines, film promotion activities, brand collaborations and social media campaigns. The going’s on have piqued interest – even from those who abandoned their own dolls many years ago – and delivered a much needed hit of fun, nostalgia and catharsis. Not many of our social media accounts will have escaped the obligatory pose (by a friend, of course!) in a pink outfit from within a Barbie doll box.

It’s no accident that Barbie fever seems to have turned the whole world pink! So, how have Mattel, the company that owns Barbie, done it? Well, for many decades, Mattel has maintained a well-planned intellectual property strategy…

Imagination, your brand is your creation. The brand’s success we know today is primarily thanks to Mattel’s forward-thinking and early appreciation of the importance and power of protecting its IP. The cornerstone of Mattel’s success lies in the fact that Barbie is a registered trademark, benefiting from protection for its distinctive brand identity, including its name, logo, and slogan. Mattel’s related IP portfolio is now extensive – including patents, designs, multiple trademarks and copyrights.

To maintain Barbie’s brand integrity and preserve its value, Mattel has fiercely protected its IP over the years and has not shied away from a legal battle or two. However, life in plastic has not always been fantastic for Mattel. In the battle of Barbie vs Bratz, Mattel lost out in the copyright and trade secrets dispute and was ordered to pay MGA’s legal fees to the tune of millions. More recently in June 2023, Mattel asked the US Trademark Office to reject fashion brand Burberry’s proposed “BRBY” trademark on the grounds that it would create confusion with the Barbie brand. This case has not yet concluded but it highlights the willingness of Mattel to continue to defend its brand.

The global marketing blitz in the lead up to the highly anticipated film release has seen Mattel focus on its marketing campaign. Stepping outside its usual market sector of toys, Mattel has tactically collaborated with a wide range of brands and granted others (licensees) the right to produce and sell products and services leveraging the Barbie brand. As a result of these deals we’ve seen things like a Burger King ‘BK Barbie Combo’ cheeseburger with pink sauce and pink milkshake, pink Xbox controllers, a “Zara x Barbie” clothing collection and Barbie Crocs. Barbie also ‘renamed’ London’s Barbican tube station Barbie-can – it seems she really can do anything. The power of a Barbie doll, or rather the IP carefully built around her for decades, is almost unbelievable.

Licencing IP brings with it a raft of benefits of which Mattel is clearly aware. For licensors looking to licence their IP rights, some advantages include generating additional revenue in the form of royalty payments by licensees, tapping into new and exciting markets and increasing brand visibility. Leveraging IP through brand collaborations is becoming increasingly common. These collaborations are documented in licence agreements and cover matters such as exclusivity, the rules around the use of the trade mark to ensure that it is used in the way the owner intends and the duration of the licence. These are important agreements and legal advice should be sought before signing up.

Today Barbie is much more than an iconic doll: it is an IP success story. In the words of Robbie Brenner who heads up Mattel Films, “in the world we’re living in, IP is king”.

Categories: News, Strategy


You Might Also Like
Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
7 Ways To Grow Wealth by Saving Money on Everyday Expenses
News
06/04/20227 Ways To Grow Wealth by Saving Money on Everyday Expenses

When we spend money day-to-day, we rarely focus our efforts on saving money here and there. Most people buy without a conscious effort to save for the future. However, if you take a few steps to save money gradually on everyday expenses and purchases, it will

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Pamplona Capital Management Completes Acquisition of Loparex
Finance
14/08/2019Pamplona Capital Management Completes Acquisition of Loparex

Pamplona Capital Management (“Pamplona”) has completed its acquisition of Loparex from funds managed by Intermediate Capital Group (“ICG”), alongside members of the company’s leadership team, who remain committed to supporting the long-term growth of

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
AI in Finance: How Fintech Leverages Machine Learning to Transform Banking
News
19/02/2024AI in Finance: How Fintech Leverages Machine Learning to Transform Banking

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are not just buzzwords but pivotal tools reshaping how we interact with money, from automated investing to fraud detection. This transformation is not just a glimpse into the future; it’s the reality

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
How To Transition From a Truck Driver to a Trucking Business Owner
News
07/02/2023How To Transition From a Truck Driver to a Trucking Business Owner

Working as a truck driver means that you experience something new every day. Traveling around the country as a truck driver allows you to make money doing something you love.

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Is Your Recruitment Business Ready to Scale
News
23/12/2024Is Your Recruitment Business Ready to Scale

Scaling your recruitment business can be one of the most challenging but exciting times in your company’s journey. After working to establish yourself and a sustainable way of working, it’s time to take your approach and apply it to a larger busine

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Nok Nok Labs first to provide FIDO-based authentication for smart watches
Innovation
23/10/2019Nok Nok Labs first to provide FIDO-based authentication for smart watches

Strong, FIDO-based authentication is now available across all digital channels - mobile apps, mobile web, desktop web and smart watch.

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Striving for Perfection
Leadership
13/02/2017Striving for Perfection

SARC is a firm with 17 senior partners and a pan India presence with foot prints in London and Toronto. To win the 2017 Ones to Watch in Consultancy award is of course a great honour, one feels great and on top of the world.

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
IP Awards FAQs
Strategy
26/02/2015IP Awards FAQs

IP Awards 2015 FAQs

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
A Highly Acclaimed Medico-Legal Expert
Finance
26/06/2017A Highly Acclaimed Medico-Legal Expert

Professor J Peter A Lodge, winner of the Most Highly Regarded Expert Witnesses 2017 from the UK, is a consultant surgeon based at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, West Yorkshire. He also has a busy, thriving private practice at Spire Leeds Hospital where he



Our Trusted Brands

Acquisition International is a flagship brand of AI Global Media. AI Global Media is a B2B enterprise and are committed to creating engaging content allowing businesses to market their services to a larger global audience. We have 14 unique brands, each of which serves a specific industry or region. Each brand covers the latest news in its sector and publishes a digital magazine and newsletter which is read by a global audience.

Arrow