Carter Bryant

Bryant was born in Missouri in 1964. He attended the Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, but did not graduate.

In September 1995, Bryant was offered a position as a Barbie product designer for Mattel.{{Cite book |last=Jennings |first=Marianne M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JebKAgAAQBAJ&dq=Carter+Bryant+Barbie&pg=PA510 |title=Business: Its Legal, Ethical, and Global Environment |date=2014-01-01 |publisher=Cengage Learning |isbn=978-1-305-15610-4 |language=en}} He left his position with Mattel in 1998.{{Cite book |last=Roth |first=Carol |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wk_SKKlB8j0C&dq=Carter+Bryant+Barbie&pg=PA111 |title=The Entrepreneur Equation: Evaluating the Realities, Risks, and Rewards of Having Your Own Business |date=2012-03-06 |publisher=BenBella Books |isbn=978-1-936661-86-2 |language=en}} Bryant later worked as a freelance designer, including doll design work for Ashton-Drake Galleries.{{Cite book |last=Jennings |first=Marianne |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6mWgEAAAQBAJ&dq=Carter+Bryant+Barbie&pg=PA599 |title=Business Ethics: Case Studies and Selected Readings |date=2022 |publisher=Cengage Learning |isbn=978-0-357-71783-7 |language=en}} During this period, Bryant stated that he found the initial inspiration for "Bratz" dolls after driving by a high school in Springfield, Missouri in 1998.{{Cite news |last=Keating |first=Gina |date=2008-06-14 |title=Bratz doll creator tells of origins at Mattel trial |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/mattel-bratz-bryant-idUSN1328758120080614 |access-date=2023-09-08}}

In 1999, Bryant went back to work at Mattel where he was the lead designer of a number of collectible Barbies.{{Cite web |last=Orellana Hernandez |first=Angie |date=2023-08-31 |title=Listen Up, Dolls: A Barbie V. Bratz TV Series Is In the Works |url=https://www.eonline.com/news/1384507/listen-up-dolls-a-barbie-v-bratz-tv-series-is-in-the-works |access-date=2023-09-08 |website=E! Online}}{{Cite book |last1=Reder |first1=Margo E. K. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eKAjEAAAQBAJ&dq=Carter+Bryant+Barbie&pg=PT51 |title=Business Law for Entrepreneurs |last2=Chang |first2=Kabrina K. |last3=Melvin |first3=Sean P. |last4=Darrow |first4=Jonathan J. |date=2021-03-26 |publisher=Edward Elgar Publishing |isbn=978-1-78990-255-6 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Hart |first=Maria Teresa |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kOWEEAAAQBAJ&dq=Carter+Bryant+Barbie&pg=PT28 |title=Doll |date=2022-11-03 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |isbn=978-1-5013-8087-7 |language=en}}

Shortly thereafter, Bryant presented his "Bratz doll" concept art to MGA Entertainment.{{Cite web |last=Hazlehurst |first=Beatrice |date=2021-06-01 |title=A Brief Cultural History of Bratz |url=https://www.wmagazine.com/culture/bratz-dolls-anniversary-deep-dive-history |access-date=2023-09-08 |website=W Magazine |language=en}} In 2000, they offered Bryant a consulting agreement and he again resigned from Mattel. In 2001, Bryant's Bratz doll line was released by MGA Entertainment. Bryant was also credited as a character writer on various Bratz projects including Bratz 4 Real, Bratz: Passion 4 Fashion - Diamondz, and Bratz the Video: Starrin' & Stylin'.

In 2013, the Pinkie Cooper "Jet Set Pets" fashion dolls were released by the Bridge Direct, which had been designed and developed by Bryant. The line included aspects of fashion play, travel, and pet collectibles.{{cite news |last=Kavilanz |first=Parija |date=February 4, 2013 |title=After Bratz, will this be the next 'it' doll? |newspaper=CNN Money |url=https://money.cnn.com/2013/02/04/smallbusiness/bratz-dolls-pinkie-cooper/index.html |accessdate=April 7, 2013}} Bryant based the dolls on his sister's pet Cocker Spaniel of the same name, "Pinkie Cooper."{{Cite web |last=Kavilanz |first=Parija |date=February 4, 2013 |title=Bratz inventor unveils new doll Pinkie Cooper |url=https://money.cnn.com/2013/02/04/smallbusiness/bratz-dolls-pinkie-cooper/index.html |access-date=May 16, 2022 |website=CNNMoney}}

{{Main|Bratz#Legal Issues}}

In 2006, Mattel sued MGA Entertainment for $500 million, alleging that Bryant was working for Mattel when he developed its original idea/concept and thus had violated his exclusivity contract.{{cite news |last=Goddard |first=Jacqui |date=10 December 2006 |title=Barbie takes on the Bratz for $500m |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/12/10/wdoll10.xml |access-date=7 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070518113517/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/12/10/wdoll10.xml |archive-date=18 May 2007}}{{Cite web |last=Noack |first=Georgina |date=2023-07-27 |title=Barbie fans uncover secret reference to rival doll in movie |url=https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/movies/new-movies/barbie-fans-uncover-secret-reference-to-rival-doll-in-barbie-film/news-story/54326f9ac31533ff1a7119ddd9a3ed0d |access-date=2023-09-08 |website=News.com.au |language=en-US}} On July 17, 2008, a federal jury ruled that Bryant had created the Bratz concept while he was working for Mattel, despite MGA's claim that Bryant had never been employed by Mattel at the time and Bryant's assertion that he had designed the Bratz concepts between two separate periods of employment at Mattel.{{cite news |date=18 July 2008 |title=Jury rules for Mattel in Bratz doll case |newspaper=The New York Times |agency=Reuters |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/18/business/18toy.html?_r=1&ref=business&oref=slogin |access-date=7 December 2008}} In 2009, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ordered MGA and Mattel to resolve their dispute out of court.{{cite news |date=10 December 2009 |title=Bratz dolls to remain on shelves in Mattel-MGA battle |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8405451.stm |access-date=23 January 2013}}{{cite news |date=9 December 2009 |title=Statement by MGA Entertainment: Appellate Court Orders Immediate Stay of Bratz Recall – Bratz Products Will Remain on Store Shelves |work=MGA Entertainment |publisher=Business Wire |url=http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20091209006275&newsLang=en |access-date=23 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121007090150/http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20091209006275&newsLang=en |archive-date=2012-10-07}}

Bryant's story is featured in an episode of the Netflix documentary series, The Toys That Made Us.{{Cite news |date=2017-11-21 |title=Netflix Series THE TOYS THAT MADE US to Premiere on December 22nd - Outright Geekery |language=en-US |work=Outright Geekery |url=http://www.outrightgeekery.com/2017/11/21/toys-made-premiere/ |url-status=dead |access-date=2017-12-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181011060213/http://www.outrightgeekery.com/2017/11/21/toys-made-premiere/ |archive-date=2018-10-11}}{{cite news |last=Mattise |first=Nathan |title=A toy story for nerds like us—Netflix's The Toys That Made Us doc drops next week |work=Ars Technica |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/12/a-toy-story-for-nerds-like-us-netflixs-the-toys-that-made-us-doc-drops-next-week/ |access-date=3 January 2018}}

As of 2023, a television series titled "You Don't Own Me" is in development by CBS Studios. The series will examine the parallel stories of Barbie inventor Ruth Handler and Bryant.{{Cite web |last=May |first=Naomi |date=2023-08-31 |title=A 'Barbie' Vs. 'Bratz' TV Series Is Coming |url=https://www.elle.com/uk/life-and-culture/culture/a44958011/barbie-bratz-tv-series/ |access-date=2023-09-08 |website=ELLE |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=2023-08-29 |title=Barbie V. Bratz: CBS Studios Acquires 'You Don't Own Me' Book About Dark Side Of Doll Wars For Series Development |url=https://deadline.com/2023/08/barbie-bratz-you-dont-own-me-tv-series-cbs-studios-1235530390/ |access-date=2023-09-08 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}

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Category:1964 births

Category:Living people

Category:20th-century American inventors

Category:21st-century American inventors

Category:American toy industry businesspeople

Category:Barbie

Category:Bratz

Category:Mattel people

Category:Toy inventors

Category:Businesspeople from Missouri