Aurora World, Inc., Ty, Inc. Jury Trial Set for January 18, 2011

PICO RIVERA, Calif. - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Aurora World, Inc., a toy and gift manufacturer that filed a federal copyright lawsuit against competitor Ty, Inc. alleging that Ty's Beanie Boos infringe on YooHoo & Friends , has announced that the court has set January 18, 2011 as the trial date in that lawsuit (a photo comparing the two product lines is available here). A pretrial conference is scheduled to take place on December 20, 2010.

In its lawsuit, Aurora has alleged claims against Ty for violation of the Copyright Act, Lanham Act, California Business and Professions Code section 17200, common law misappropriation, and common law unfair competition. In papers filed with the Court, Ty informed the Court that it had no intention of selling "Cleo" and "Bubblegum" in the U.S. pending the outcome of this case. Ty's lawyers also advised the Court that Ty had ceased sending out display racks and sell sheets containing images of "Cleo" and "Bubblegum."

Aurora's YooHoo & Friends were created and based from endangered animals to help educate children and collectors about endangered species and their natural habitats. Aurora officially introduced the fluffy, big-eyed and whimsical plush animals in the United States around July of 2006. Since then, the line has expanded to include various sizes and themes, with more than 50 SKUs available at retail heading into 2010.