Blog - Page 1496 of 1548

Spin Master Files Trademark Lawsuit Against Crayola

Spin Master, Ltd. has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Central District of California against Crayola, LLC and its intellectual property holding company, Crayola Properties, Inc.

The lawsuit alleges that Crayola knowingly, willingly, and unlawfully is infringing and intends to infringe on Spin Master’s Liv trademark with its Liv Crayola line of products that is targeted at young girls. The line launched last June.

Spin Master is seeking damages, attorney’s fees, and a permanent injunction barring Crayola from infringing on Spin Master’s “Liv” trademark.

More Products to Premiere for Spot’s 30th Anniversary

Chorion has announced a range of new products featuring Spot as he celebrates his 30th anniversary this year.

In the U.S., BBC America will release Spot Goes to School in August and Spot’s Magical Christmas in October. Chorion has also signed a new licensing deal with Zoobies who will make a Spot product to be featured on QVC for “Christmas in July.” Master toy licensee Kids Preferred is expanding its Spot product line to include puzzles, backpacks, bath toys, and wooden toys, which will be released in 2011.

In the UK, master toy licensee, Rainbow Designs will introduce an expanded range of products including puzzles and wooden toys for 2011. Additionally, an exclusive birthday party is planned for August 5 in London for parents and children.

Additional book titles for Spot from Warne include a 30th anniversary special edition of Where’s Spot?, Spot’s Birthday Balloon, and Spot’s Little Library. Touch and feel books, a book and plush set, and an 18-button sound book are planned for the holiday season.

Video: John Lasseter Talks Mr. Potato Head

Timed with the release of Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story 3, Disney Consumer Products has released John Lasseter Talks Toys Vol. 7: Mr. Potato Head on its YouTube channel, Disney Living. The video is the latest in a series of profiles on the Toy Story characters. The series was launched last fall, prior to the release of Toy Story and Toy Story 2 in 3-D.

Phyllis Brody Receives ASTRA Lifetime Achievement Award

Phyllis Brody, co-founder of Creativity for Kids, has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association

(ASTRA). The award recognizes a person who has demonstrated a career of service to the toy industry and who has made a significant contribution to ASTRA’s mission of expanding and improving the specialty toy industry.

Brody co-founded Creativity for Kids more than 30 years ago with a mission to stimulate and encourage childhood creativity. Brody also helped to develop initiatives and programs for specialty toy retailers as a founding board member of ASTRA.

Simba Dickie Group to Develop Toys for Kikaninchen

As a first step in the marketing of Kikaninchen, a new preschool brand by KI.KA, M4e AG has announced that Simba Dickie Group has been named the first partner for the toys/soft-toy sector.

Simba Dickie Group will produce an exclusive range of products via its many brands. Nicotoy will develop various Kikanichen soft-toys; Eichhorn will produce a range of wooden toys; Simba Toys will develop creative toys such as painting and handicraft boxes, finger paints, and Softknete modeling clay; Big will offer outdoor toys such as its Big-Bobby-Car, and a balance board; and Noris-Spiele will develop games and puzzles.

All of the products will debut at the Nuremberg International Toy Fair in next February, and should be available at retail the following summer.

Pearson Signed as Exclusive Publisher for StinkyKids

Stone America Licensing has announced that Pearson has been appointed the exclusive publisher for StinkyKids soft and hard cover story books.

StinkyKids is a doll line that was launched in fourth quarter 2009. The dolls are sold at 110 Nordstrom stores, Nordstrom.com, and FAO Schwarz New York. StinkyKids recently signed Madame Alexander to refill doll reorders, and to expand the program to additional specialty, mid-tier, and mass retailers.

Scholastic Media develops iPad apps

Scholastic Media is bringing its children’s apps for the iPhone and the iPod Touch to the iPad. The apps are based on Scholastic brands Clifford the Big Red Dog and ISpy and launched June 16 for $3.99.

Clifford’s Be Big with Words, based on the Scholastic and PBS KIDS series, encourages the development of spelling, phonics, and vocabulary skills in young readers. Users spell words and are rewarded with pictures depicting the word’s meaning.

I SPY Spooky Mansion takes users on a hidden object adventure through a mansion, where they will escape by collecting keys through solving ISpy riddles.

Both apps were launched on the iPhone last fall. ISpy Spooky Mansion has ranked among the Top 10 Paid Kids Games and the Top 20 Paid Puzzle Games categories. CLIFFORD’S BE BIG With Words has been ranked among the Top 10 Paid Educational Games as well as the Top 25 Paid Kids Games since release.

DanceDanceRevolution for Wii Announced with New Upgrades

Konami Entertainment has announced the release of an all-new DanceDanceRevolution for Wii, to be released this fall.

The version for Wii will build on traditional game play while introducing new elements, most prominently the new Choreography Style mode. The new mode will allow users to move with the model dancer on screen using their body, mat controller, Wii Remote, and Nunchuk simultaneously. The game will also incorporate traditional Wii play style with the use of the Wii Balance Board. The game included a new multiplayer mode that allows up to four players to become ultimate dancers by using their upper body to follow the on-screen dance moves.

DanceDanceRevolution originally debuted in arcades in 1998 and has previously been available on the Xbox 360 gaming system and PlayStation.

Dora’s Big Birthday Adventure Video Game by 2K Play

In celebration of Dora the Explorer’s 10th anniversary, 2K Play is releasing Dora’s Big Birthday Adventure. The Nintendo DS video game will be timed with the Nick Jr. prime time television event airing this August.

The game will feature Dora and Boots as they adventure through Wizzle World to get to Dora’s birthday celebration.

Players can participate in adventures such as floating in a giant bubble across Sea Snake Lake, riding a magical unicorn over the rainbow, and playing the drums in the enchanted Dancing Forest.

GUEST BLOG: Ryan Conti Reports from the Sweets & Snacks Expo

by Ryan Conti

As I stepped inside the Sweets & Snacks Expo 2010 (formerly known as the All Candy Expo), I was greeted by a 10-foot-tall Lindt chocolate bunny and served attitude by a towering Garfield. Excitedly, I entered a place that the gluttonous Augustus Gloop would envy; delicious smells wafted throughout Chicago’s McCormick Place, and the worlds of candy and business met head on.

Eyes wide open and eager on my quest for the ultimate candy/toy integration, I spent the first half of day one scouring the aisles, making a concerted effort to see every booth. And what I saw, concerned me. Where was the creativity? Where was the fun? Where was that “it” product that would makes us all salivate?