Commentary: Make sure that gray area is yours, not theirs

June 24, 2008 Work-for-hire disputes don't often rise to lawsuits in entertainment, but a cautionary tale is currently unfolding in a month-long copyright trial in Riverside, Calif. Mattel, maker of the venerable Barbie, claims that a former hair and fashion designer came up with the concept for the sassy Bratz dolls while employed at the toy giant. The Bratz trial has focused on Bryant's career path, which might sound familiar to some who trek west to give Hollywood a go.

Subscribe to the Hollywood Reporter and see the entertainment industry from its best angle: the inside looking out. Complete access to real-time news and exclusive analysis that goes behind the scenes from film to television, home video to digital media.

   Subscribe now.