traduction en cours
Jieyang Defa Industry Co. Ltd (Defa) is a doll manufacturer. It was sued by Mattel, which claimed that the head sculpts of Defa’s dolls were counterfeits of Barbies CEO and CHELSEA
We argued, in defense, that the Barbies dolls’ head sculpts are not protected by copyright and that the head sculpts of the Defa dolls do not constitute slavish reproductions of those of Barbies CEO and CHELSEA.

In a judgement issued on December 19th, 2025, the Nancy First Instance Court ruled that Mattel’s Barbie CEO and Barbie CHELSEA doll head sculpts are original works protected by copyright.
Nevertheless, the Court considered that Defa and other co-defendants’ doll head sculpts do not constitute slavish copies and therefore do not infringe Mattel’s copyright.
The Court emphasized that copyright infringement must be assessed sculpt by sculpt, considering their overall visual impression, and confirmed that Mattel cannot claim a monopoly over “Caucasian-type” fashion dolls.
Mattel’s claims of unfair competition and parasitism were also rejected, and the Court ordered Mattel to pay 10,000 Euros to each defendant, in addition to court costs.
This decision is important as it clarifies the scope of copyright protection for fashion doll designs and confirms that competing products with distinctive features and presentation are permissible in the market.