Launched in 2012, GoldieBlox is a toy company that introduces girls to the engineering field. Debbie Sterling, an engineering student at Stanford University, launched the firm. She did so because of her concern about the lack of women in engineering and the lack of encouragement girls receive to go into the math and science fields. The firm’s mission is to reach girls at a young age and introduce them (and oftentimes, their parents) to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). “Goldie” is a smart young girl that Sterling made up. Each toy in the GoldieBlox series consists of a book that features Goldie and a set of age-appropriate construction items, such as spools and ribbons. Girls play with the toy by helping Goldie solve problems by building things. For example, in GoldieBlox and the Spinning Machine, a toy in the series, players must help Goldie build a belt drive machine to help her dog, Nacho, chase his tail. The idea is to introduce girls to the fundamentals of engineering. Independent toy stores and several big-box stores, including Walmart and Target, now carry GoldieBlox’s toys....

Discussion Questions:

1.If there was no settlement between GoldieBlox and the Beastie Boys and your assignment was to render a judgment about the issue discussed in the case, would you rule in favor of GoldieBlox or the Beastie Boys? Explain your decision.
2.Briefly comment on how each side handled the dispute.
3.What do we learn about fair use from the GoldieBlox–Beastie Boys dispute?
4.What do we learn about the process of launching and growing an entrepreneurial firm, in general, from the GoldieBlox–Beastie Boys dispute?