Squishmallow owners sue Build-a-Bear over look-a-like Skoosherz
The Warren Buffet-owned Jazwares is suing rival Build-a-Bear over its Skoosherz line, which it claims are “knock offs”.
Build-a-Bear is currently under fire from Jazwares, with the two companies suing each other over toys. Jazwares, which is owned by billionaire Warren Buffet’s company, Berkshire Hathaway, is suing Build-a-Bear due to the look of its Shoosherz range.
In a report from The Guardian, in the suit, Jazwares has outright called Build-a-Bear’s Skoosherz “knock offs”. The company is claiming that the Skoosherz looks far too similar to the Squishmallow “simplified Asian-style kawaii faces”.
Countering this, Build-a-Bear is suing Jazwares to get a court to determine that the company has not infringed on the company’s rights.
Skoosherz launched in January, with the company bringing some familiar choices in animals to the table. As of right now, you can buy a pink axolotl, something that Squishmallow fans will recognize instantly.
Jazware’s Squishmallow lawsuit highlights community reaction to Skoosherz
In the initial documents, Jazwares compares the stuffed toys and highlights an Instagram exchange. A user commented:
“SQUISHMALLOWS???”
To which the Build-a-Bear Instagram account responded with:
“*skoosherz”
Further in the document, Jazwares highlights other comments made by consumers, including “like a worse Squishmallow”. Other comments highlighted also said “C’mon plagiarism.”
A Reddit thread was also screenshotted, with one user stating:
“I’m sorry but I really can’t see the appeal.
“Like I collect both Squishmallows and bab but these designs are just lazy and look like cheap Squishmallow.”
Squishmallows was launched in 2017, which Jazwares acquired in 2020. The company has been overly protective of its brand since being acquired, as Alibaba is currently being sued over fakes.
The toy line made up 40% of Jazware’s sales in 2021, with a few limited editions now going for thousands online. Recently, Squishmallows were the free toy in McDonald’s Happy Meals across the US and UK.
Build-a-Bear has clearly seen where the money is at. However, Jazwares claims that the “velvety velour-like” stuffed toys are fringing on their rights.
