Slashdot Mirror
Lego Loses Its Unique Right To Make Lego Blocks
tsa writes "The European Department of Justice has decided that the Danish company Lego does not have exclusive rights to the lego building block anymore (sorry, it's in Dutch). Lego went to court after a Canadian firm had made blocks that were so like lego blocks that they even fit the real blocks made by Lego. The European judge decided that the design of the lego blocks is not protected by European trademarks and so anyone can make the blocks." If true, hopefully this will open doors for people interested in inexpensive bulk purchase of bricks of specific sizes and colors. Perhaps at long last I can build a life-sized Hemos statue for my office.
Lego was naar het Europese Hof van justitie gestapt in de strijd tegen de Canadese concurrent Mega Brands, die een blokje op de markt heeft gebracht dat past op die van Lego. Het Hof oordeelde vandaag dat het ontwerp van Lego niet is beschermd door het Europees merkenrecht en dat er dus geen sprake mag zijn van alleenrecht.
Can't really argue with that....
This guy's the limit!
Great, time to open source Lego! ... err... not sure how, but it sounds great in theory!
There are 10 kinds of people in the world... those who understand binary and those who don't.
I for one am looking forward to the explosion of availability of cheap melamine and lead-laced lego-like blocks for young toddlers.
Mmmm, mmmm! Nothing says safe, wholesome and tasty like cheap imports from third-world sweat-shops.
Fitted? Really?
Made for children, by children.
“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
Flat or tall?
http://pinopsida.com
Following their pattern of Wait & BadlyCopy, Microsoft will announce the need for the strategic purchase of Mega so they can Embrace the Blocks, Extend, and Extinguish Lego!
My first Journal Entry ever, in 8 years! http://slashdot.org/journal/365947/aphelion-scifi-fantasy-horror-poetry-webzine
I was a lego boy when I grew up. I had a lot of legos.
And then... what? Your fairy godmother made you a real boy?
My shot at it:
Lego was near hot European Hasselhoff just in time to gestate in the stride generator concurrent with the Canada geese Mega Brands, ...okay, I give up...
They don't make a small enough brick.
Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
Fixed it:
All your baseplates are belong to us
mod me funny
This way, they'll still have control over the standard, and if products meet the standard, they get branded with "OLS Compliant!" and consumers know that if they buy "OLS Compliant!" parts, they'll work with their other "OLS Compliant!" parts, which makes consumers very happy, which makes the standard valuable.
Times have really changed. Back when I was buying legos, I was only concerned with whether or not I'd have enough to build a spaceship. Kids these days with their obsession with open source... They should just stick with microsoft legos.
Yeah, on the one hand, the race to the bottom wins again.
On the other hand, Lego is a socially responsible company with zero waste, excellent pay and bennies for all employees, and an all around good company. I hope this doesn't mean the collapse of the Danish economy. I mean, they pretty much have Legos, Bang and Olfsen, Hans Christian Anderson... and that's about it.
Quoting Black Cardinal, above:
So, yes, there's a good chance it would be :-)
Maybe Lego should change their name to:
oooo
oooo
Well, Comrade, the industrial design trademark was based on the red 2x4 bloc. You tell me.
(Cue the "in Soviet Europe" jokes...)
Welcome to the Panopticon. Used to be a prison, now it's your home.
You forgot the red-light districts.
Not that I've ever been there. Nope. Uh huh. Nyet. I'm just a Puritan American and have no clue what "red light" means. Yep.
FOX NEWS.com should be BANNED from television and internet. Have the Congress take it over and give us Truespeak.
My son had LEGO blocks, but I soon discovered that they have sharp
pointy edges, and hurt when you step on them barefooted in the dark.
Needless to say, any block I encountered in the dark disappeared. Soon
he had none. That never did teach him to pick up his toys. Grrrrr.
now the European Court of Justice has ruled Wednesday that everyone must make a box that fits the original lego bit.
Well, fuck. Do I have to start right away, or is there some kind of deadline?
LEGO twice the price "toys of the century" won.
Don't be frightened, Yoda wouldn't work for anyone evil.
Uh, I did not know that the Dutch red light district had any competition from the Danish red light district. Unless you mean to have sex with Lego figures, that is.
You like Danish cheese? I love Cheese Danish.
Not a Twitter sockpuppet... but I wish I was.
I'm just a Puritan American and have no clue what "red light" means.
There are a lot a drivers around here like that.
Ooh, a sarcasm detector. Oh, that's a real useful invention.
Oh man!
Years on slashdot and finally something to show for it!
I remember going through the Great MegaBlocks Purge as a child. My brother and I had each received a fairly neat looking set for the holidays, but were quickly disappointed with not only the quality of the plastic, but the inability of the block to properly fit with Legos, let alone themselves. Our parents contacted MegaBlocks with these concerns and they made it up to us by sending us a ton more of their product. Well, eventually my brother and I decided to go through our tubs and tubs of blocks and sort out all of the MegaBlocks so as to be cast aside. There was much rejoicing in Lego Land.
"He who can destroy a thing, controls a thing." --Paul Atreides, Dune
I was going to mod this funny... but I rather share the joke with others...
Go ahead and read parent post with the voice of Comic Book Guy.
Fantastic!
Ubuntu is an African word meaning 'I can't configure Debian'