Brush off concerns about intellectual property misappropriation
Danish toy giant Lego continues to assert its dominance in the interlocking brick market by aggressively enforcing its trademarks and copyrights. This legal strategy, which began after the expiration of its patents in 1978, has enabled the company to maintain its market position despite competition from other manufacturers.
The Lego Group's building blocks, characterized by their distinctive studded design, have become a household name, much like TEMPO and Tesa with tissues and adhesive tape, respectively. Any attempts to imitate the popular toys can lead to lawsuits, as the company has demonstrated on multiple occasions in European courts.
Interestingly, it was Lego itself that drew inspiration from an English entrepreneur, Hilary Page, in the late 1940s. Page held a British patent for his colorful play stones and inadvertently provided Lego's founder, Ole Kirk Christiansen, with an injection molding machine and sample molds. This single oversight kickstarted a trend that would soon fill children's rooms worldwide.
Following the expiration of its patents, Lego has relied on trademark and copyright law to protect its iconic design. The company has been successful in enforcing its intellectual property rights globally, including in major cases in China where there have been severe sentences for copyright infringement. Trademark disputes have also led to the cessation of products indirectly conflicting with Lego's brand identity.
This strategy reflects Lego's commitment to preserving its brand and design from imitation and infringement. The use of trademark and copyright laws has allowed the company to defend its market position effectively, even in the face of competition from other manufacturers offering similar interlocking bricks.
[1] The patents for Lego's specific building block design expired in 1978 in Denmark, the U.S., and Canada, allowing other companies to produce similar interlocking bricks. However, Lego continued to protect its design and brand through trademarks and copyrights.
[2] In China, a major copyright infringement offender involved in the production of Lego-like blocks was sentenced to 8 and 9 years in prison, marking one of the largest penalties recorded for copyright infringement cases in that jurisdiction.
[3] Trademark conflicts have led to product disputes and cessation, illustrating Lego's commitment to protecting its brand identity beyond straightforward copyright claims. For example, a gun company ceased production of its "Block 19" product following a trademark conflict with Lego.
- Despite the expiration of their specific building block design patents in 1978, the Lego Group has relied on trademark and copyright law to maintain its unique position in the business of finance and toy manufacturing.
- Lego's strong commitment to protecting its brand and design from imitation and infringement extends beyond copyright claims, as illustrated by the cessation of the "Block 19" product due to a trademark conflict with the company.
