Steffi Beats Barbie

Barbie's maker, Mattel Inc., sought an injunction against Simba Toys, which similarly markets dolls to look like veterinarians, dentists or baby-sitters.

Mattel said its good reputation was being exploited by the German company, which it accused of misleading consumers about the origin of its products.

But the court said the concept of a doll with accessories could not be copyrighted. And it said it was obvious that there were going to be similarities among the themed dolls.

Mattel alleged that Simba Toys systematically copied their ideas, but the court ruled that with 82 percent of the German market for Barbie-type dolls, the US-based toy multinational could not prevent rivals from launching similar products.

The court said this was true even in situations where Mattel had paid for the advertising to open up the market.