Lego Loses Its Unique Right To Make Lego Blocks 576
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.
makes sense (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....
Re:makes sense (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.
Re:first block! (Score:3, Funny)
Cheap = Good? (Score:2, Funny)
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.
Re:makes sense (Score:5, Funny)
Fitted? (Score:2, Funny)
Chinese Legos (Score:5, Funny)
Made for children, by children.
Re:makes sense (Score:4, Funny)
Can't really argue with that, either!
I could argue that....but I don't feel like it.
Re:first block! (Score:4, Funny)
Flat or tall?
Re: MS Blocks! (Score:5, Funny)
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!
Re:This isn't ALL good (Score:5, Funny)
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?
Let me attempt to translate... (Score:5, Funny)
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...
Re:Hemos Lego Statue (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Obligatory (Score:5, Funny)
Fixed it:
All your baseplates are belong to us
Re:OLS (Score:4, 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.
Re:makes sense, meh (Score:4, Funny)
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.
Re:makes sense (Score:2, Funny)
Re:makes sense (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)
Re:Hemos Lego Statue (Score:2, Funny)
Quoting Black Cardinal, above:
So, yes, there's a good chance it would be :-)
Re:Let me attempt to translate... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Lego tried an end-run around the law (Score:5, Funny)
oooo
oooo
Re:Cheap = Good for parents (Score:3, Funny)
Well, Comrade, the industrial design trademark was based on the red 2x4 bloc. You tell me.
(Cue the "in Soviet Europe" jokes...)
Re:makes sense, meh (Score:5, Funny)
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.
The AWFUL truth about LEGO (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.
Re:Google Translation (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?
Re:Let me attempt to translate... (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!
Re:makes sense (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Let me attempt to translate... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:makes sense (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Google Translation (Score:5, Funny)
LEGO twice the price "toys of the century" won.
Don't be frightened, Yoda wouldn't work for anyone evil.
Re:makes sense (Score:1, Funny)
Pmfmppmfmppf fppmmmfmm mmmfmp fmpmfpmpp Mppfmfpffppfpfmmppmmmppp Mmfppffmfpfffmp mfmmppfmmfmpmmmpfmfmp mffppp fmpmfpmpp mpfmffmfmmfpfmp mmmmfmmmmmffpppfmmfmp fmpmfpmpp Mmfmmmpppmmmmpmmffmmm mmfppfppmpfmmppfmpmfffmpppfpff Ppmmppmfmmmm Mmppffmmmpppmpmfmm, fppmfpppf mfpmmmfmm mmppffppffmfmfmmfpfmp fmpppf
You called my mother a what??!!
Re:makes sense, meh (Score:5, Funny)
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.
Re:makes sense, meh (Score:3, Funny)
Re:The AWFUL truth about LEGO (Score:5, Funny)
At about midnight there was a lot of swearing, and I found out that Santa wasn't real.
Re:The AWFUL truth about LEGO (Score:2, Funny)
Re:makes sense, meh (Score:4, Funny)
I'm just a Puritan American and have no clue what "red light" means.
There are a lot a drivers around here like that.
Re:makes sense, meh (Score:3, Funny)
Years on slashdot and finally something to show for it!
Re:makes sense, meh (Score:3, Funny)
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.
Re:makes sense, meh (Score:3, Funny)
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!