"Barbie Girl" ruling
A US appellate court has ruled against Mattel in a lawsuit over the pop song "Barbie Girl". Mattel argued that the song infringed on the Barbie trademark and that the song's sexual innuendo sullied the doll's image. The judge stated that Barbie was "not just a toy but a cultural icon" and that the song was a parody protected by the Constitution. In response to the increasingly hysterical war of rhetoric between Mattel and Universal, the judge also stated, "The parties are advised to chill."
