Plush wars? Squishmallows toy maker and Build-A-Bear sue each other over ‘copycat’ accusations

By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS
AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — It turns out there are actually a lot of sharp elbows in the plush toy business. Build-A-Bear and Squishmallows maker Kelly Toys are now facing off in federal court. In a lawsuit filed Monday, Kelly Toys and parent company Jazwares accused Build-A-Bear’s new “Skoosherz” products of copying the look and feel of their mega-popular Squishmallow toys. Build-A-Bear soon clapped back with its own lawsuit — saying that its “Skoosherz” toys were based on its own original stuffed animals that have been around for years. Jazwares’ is owned by Alleghany Corp., an insurance giant controlled by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway.