Call it ‘Duelling Lawsuits’, minus the crescendo of banjos: The Troll Company has answered DIC Entertainment’s US$20-million suit registered last week in L.A., with a countersuit to the tune of, yep, US$20 million.

The Troll Company, Danish owner the Good Luck Troll doll, is suing DIC for fraudulently obtaining licensing rights to the Troll franchise, alleging DIC hid its true financial condition and then conducted an under-funded rollout that transformed a once vibrant ‘multi-billion dollar’ property into a dud.

Moreover, according to the complaint filed in the L.A. Superior Court, Troll Company claims that DIC advanced the development and launch of Good Luck Troll spin-off Trollz to the detriment of the original property. Troll Company contends Trollz was a failure that engendered ‘bad feelings’ with licensees and retailers, creating an unfavorable commercial environment for the Good Luck Troll that ultimately rendered the entire brand unmarketable.

The complaint states that the ‘Troll Company has been severely damaged’ and seeks US$20 million in damages, further punitive damages and a permanent injunction, prohibiting DIC from commercially exploiting Trollz and the Good Luck Troll character.

DIC, for its part, is suing Troll Company for US$20 million for wilfully misrepresenting copyright infringements that it claims damaged its ability to license and market the entire Troll brand.