Squishmallows, a popular squidgy pillow with a face, has filed a lawsuit against Build-A-Bear, alleging it produced a "knock-off" to capitalize on its success.

The business that created Squishmallows, the gooey pillows with a face that have Lady Gaga and Kim Kardashian as fans, has sued Build-A-Bear, claiming the latter created a “knock-off” in an attempt to profit off Squishmallows' popularity.

Build-A-Bear Workshop's new Skoosherz toys, according to Jazwares, a company that Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway acquired two years ago after Squishmallows became a worldwide success on TikTok, are too close to their own plush, huggable toy.

Build-A-Bear, which introduced the Skoosherz line in the lead-up to Valentine's Day, retaliated right away by filing a lawsuit of its own, contending that its £18 plush animals with faces are an expansion of its current animal collection. The business maintained that there have been "soft, pillow-like squishie-type" toys for years, and the Skoosherz brand is just the most current variation of them.

In its lawsuit, which was filed in Missouri, Build-A-Bear requests a ruling from the court stating that Jazwares' "trade dress" rights in Squishmallows have not been violated and that any such rights are void. California is the location of the intellectual property case brought by Jazwares, which Berkshire Hathaway acquired in October 2022 for a $12 billion purchase for its parent firm Alleghany.