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Lego Loses Its Unique Right To Make Lego Blocks

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the this-could-be-huge dept.

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.

11 of 576 comments (clear)

  1. makes sense by gEvil+(beta) · · Score: 5, Funny

    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!
    1. Re:makes sense by cowscows · · Score: 5, Funny

      Damn. I'm only 28 and already I'm so old that I can't make sense of this "leet-speak" that kids are using these days.

      --

      One time I threw a brick at a duck.

    2. Re:makes sense by jonaskoelker · · Score: 5, Funny

      I can make out this:

      Lego was at the European Court gestapt in the fight against the Canadia competitor Mega Brands, who has brought to the market a block that passes for those from Lego. The court oordeelde vandaag that the ontwerp van Lego isn't proctected through the European trademark and that er dus geen sprake mag is van exclusive right.

      Run that through dict-freedict-nld-eng and a copywriter to get some sensible english. Or run it through kenny to get

      Pmfmppmfmppf fppmmmfmm mmmfmp fmpmfpmpp Mppfmfpffppfpfmmppmmmppp Mmfppffmfpfffmp mfmmppfmmfmpmmmpfmfmp mffppp fmpmfpmpp mpfmffmfmmfpfmp mmmmfmmmmmffpppfmmfmp fmpmfpmpp Mmfmmmpppmmmmpmmffmmm mmfppfppmpfmmppfmpmfffmpppfpff Ppmmppmfmmmm Mmppffmmmpppmpmfmm, fppmfpppf mfpmmmfmm mmppffppffmfmfmmfpfmp fmpppf fmpmfpmpp ppmmmmpffpmpmppfmp mmm mmppmfppfmmfpmp fmpmfpmmmfmp pfmmmmfmmfmmmppfmm mpfppfpff fmpmfpppffmmmpp mpfpffppfppm Pmfmppmfmppf. Fmpmfpmpp mmfppffmfpfffmp ppfppfpffmpmmppmpppmfmpmmpp fpmmmmpppmpmmmmmmmmfm fmpmfpmmmfmp fmpmfpmpp ppfpppfmpfppmpppffpfm fpmmmmppp Pmfmppmfmppf mfffmmppp'fmp pfmpffppfmmffmpmppmmffmpmppmpm fmpmfppffppffmfmfmmfp fmpmfpmpp Mppfmfpffppfpfmmppmmmppp fmppffmmmmpmmppppmmmmpffpmp mmmpppmpm fmpmfpmmmfmp mpppff mpmfmffmm mfmmppmppppp fmmpfmpffmmmpmpmpp ppmmmmmfm mfffmm fpmmmmppp mppfpfmmfpmffmffmmmfffpmmpp pffmffmfmmfpfmp.

      (apt-get install filters)

  2. Chinese Legos by OrangeTide · · Score: 5, Funny

    Made for children, by children.

    --
    “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
  3. Let me attempt to translate... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    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.

    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...

    1. Re:Let me attempt to translate... by NuclearError · · Score: 5, Funny

      No, it's "My European Lego hovercraft is fulls of eels."

      --
      Nuclear engineers build weapons. Civil engineers build targets.
    2. Re:Let me attempt to translate... by corbettw · · Score: 5, Funny

      The "Hof" decided today that the design of Lego is not protected by the European Market rights, and that there thus cannot be any case for exclusive ownership.

      You know, I knew David Hasselhof was popular in Europe, but I had no idea he was so powerful!

      --
      God invented whiskey so the Irish would not rule the world.
  4. Re:Lego tried an end-run around the law by MrSquishy · · Score: 5, Funny

    Maybe Lego should change their name to:
    oooo
    oooo

  5. The AWFUL truth about LEGO by zoomshorts · · Score: 5, Funny

    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.

    1. Re:The AWFUL truth about LEGO by WhatAmIDoingHere · · Score: 5, Funny

      One Christmas I spread my Lego bricks around the Christmas tree and on the stairs, to try to catch Santa.

      At about midnight there was a lot of swearing, and I found out that Santa wasn't real. :(

      --
      Not a Twitter sockpuppet... but I wish I was.
  6. Re:Google Translation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    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?