BBW - Warren Buffett's Jazwares Files Lawsuit Accusing Build-A-Bear Of Producing Squishmallows Knockoffs | Benzinga
Berkshire Hathaway Inc (NYSE:BRK) (NYSE:BRK) owned Jazwares, the company behind the popular Squishmallows plush toys, has filed a lawsuit against Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc (NYSE:BBW) over alleged intellectual property infringement.
What Happened: Jazwares, a subsidiary of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, has taken legal action against Build-A-Bear, accusing the latter of producing “knockoff” versions of its Squishmallows, Reuters reported. The lawsuit was filed on Monday in Los Angeles federal court.
Build-A-Bear, in turn, has filed a counter lawsuit against Jazwares, asserting that its new Skoosherz plush toy line is based on its existing plush animals. The company also claims that its marketing and advertising since the launch of Skoosherz last month clearly indicates its authorship.
This legal dispute is the latest in Jazwares’ efforts to protect Squishmallows from alleged knockoffs and counterfeits, including a lawsuit against online retail giant Alibaba Group.
Build-A-Bear introduced Skoosherz ahead of Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14, targeting a market interested in plush toys designed to be “uniquely styled ...