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Legal Issues

by Mike Masnick

Thu, Nov 17th 2005 5:18pm





Lego Learns It Doesn't Get A Monopoly On Toy Building Blocks In Canada

from the choices,-choices dept

Lego Group, the makers of the popular building blocks has been in the news quite a bit of late -- often because of their overly aggressive lawyers. These were the lawyers who scolded people for thinking their website was legos.com instead of lego.com, and then told an artist whose middle name actually was Lego, that she couldn't use that name in her artwork. Well, it seems those lawyers have been fighting a much bigger intellectual property battle -- trying desperately to convince the world that no one else should be allowed to build connecting building blocks. Most of the Lego patents ran out by 1988, but then they moved on to trademark law. Apparently they still had at least one patent in Germany, but that got thrown out earlier this year. A Greek court tossed out Lego's attempt to block other building blocks earlier this year, and now the Canadian Supreme Court has dismissed a trademark violation case that Lego had filed against competitor Mega Blok. Was Lego really so afraid of competing that they had to pull out trademark law to stop any competition?

9 Comments | Leave a Comment..


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  1.  

    No Subject Given

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    Jared Anderson, Nov 17th, 2005 @ 6:41pm

    Too bad for Lego.Haa

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  2.  

    No Subject Given

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    Rikko, Nov 17th, 2005 @ 8:27pm

    Guess they'll have to take apart their business model and snap together a new one from the adorable, convenient, colourful pieces.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  3.  

    No Subject Given

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    Dei, Nov 17th, 2005 @ 9:34pm

    Wow, after all this time their impenetrable fortress just turns out to be some small plastic lawyers, and a brick wall 1.5cm thick of hollow plastic.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  4.  

    No surprise

    identicon
    maca, Nov 18th, 2005 @ 3:15am

    It's no surprise really, they are trying to protect their business. Lego hasn't been doing so well since the late 90's when they made some huge losses and have to lay-off a lot of people.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  5.  

    Re: No surprise

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    Anonymous Coward, Nov 18th, 2005 @ 4:31am

    Yes, they haven't done well in years. Maybe instead of suing, they should rething the whole "specialized sets" that they sell. You know, the one branded with "Harry Potter" or something like that where you get 25 pieces for $40 that can only be used to make two different formations...

    Ah, to go back to the days of basic blocks and lots of imagination...

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  6.  

    Re: No surprise

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    Galley, Nov 18th, 2005 @ 6:49am

    Lego building blocks were named "greatest toy of the 20th century" for a reason. Perhaps they should try to remember what they did to warrant that award. Hint: it has nothing to do with branding!

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  7.  

    Re: No surprise

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    whosawhat?, Nov 18th, 2005 @ 7:34am

    I agree. The other day I was at the toy store and stumbled into the lego section. I couldn't find any lego that wasn't Star Wars or Harry Potter.

    Can't you buy just a generic set of building blocks and lego men anymore?

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  8.  

    Re: No surprise

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    Sissy Pants, Nov 18th, 2005 @ 8:41am

    Lego, my Eggo? wonder if they've been sued...

    Lego, my Lego(tm)

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  9.  

    Lego

    identicon
    NoMorePoints.com, Nov 19th, 2005 @ 8:39am

    This is just another example of Coporate Grandpa [because they are so old at this point] still trying to be the bully on the playground. Question: Are they going to go after the breakfast bunch next? Lego my eggo? Sound familiar? NoMorePoints.com

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]


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