Case 1:21-cv-00824 Document 1 Filed 08/25/21 Page 20 of 71
Figure 5 44.
Rovio acknowledges that its Angry Birds Gaming Apps are child-directed through
its decade-long, sustained campaign to market the Gaming Apps and related toys and merchandise to young children. Rovio began marketing plush toys based on the characters in the Angry Birds Gaming Apps as early as 2010. By 2012, Rovio sold tens of millions of stuffed Angry Birds toys.17 Rovio also released a line of toys sold to children that included coupon codes providing children extra “power-ups” to enhance game play when playing an Angry Birds Gaming App, in order to encourage and induce them to purchase, download, and play the games.18 45.
As early as 2012, Rovio focused on getting children to buy “virtual goods” (e.g.,
goods sold and used while playing games, like Angry Birds Rio) and actual “physical goods,” like Angry Birds plush toys, children’s puzzles, and coloring books. In 2012, Rovio’s head of development stated that the company’s goal was to create an entertainment franchise similar to Hello Kitty.19 46.
Examples of the scores of toys and merchandise based on the cartoonish, child-
directed Angry Birds characters that Rovio markets to children include baby blankets, infant Halloween costumes, action figures, children’s lunchboxes, slot cars, playground equipment and playground balls:
17
Jenna Wortham, Angry Birds Migrates to Facebook and Toy Stres, New York Times (February 13, 2012), https://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/13/angry-birds-migrates-tofacebook-and-toy-stores/ (last accessed July 30, 2021). 18 Id. 19 Id.
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