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A Lego clone is a line or brand of children's construction blocks which is mechanically compatible with Lego brand blocks, but is produced by another manufacturer. The blocks were originally patented by The Lego Group in 1961 as "toy building bricks",[1] and the company has since remained dominant in this market.[2] Some competitors have moved to take advantage of Lego brand recognition by advertising their own products as compatible with Lego, with statements such as "compatible with leading building bricks".[3]
The last underlying patents of the brick design expired in 1978, opening the field to rivals.[4]
At least two of the largest clone manufacturers have been challenged in court by Lego. The lawsuits have been mostly unsuccessful, for courts have generally found the functional design of the basic brick to be a matter of patent rather than trademark law, and all relevant Lego patents have expired.
- ^ US patent 3005282, Christiansen, Godtfred Kirk, "Toy Building Brick", issued 1961-10-24, assigned to Interlego A.G.
- ^ Joffe-Walt, Chana (2012-12-13). "Why Legos Are So Expensive — And So Popular". NPR. Retrieved 2019-10-14.
Lego has about 70 percent of the construction-toy market
- ^ Gardner, Tracy (14 August 2015). "Laser Pegs Hands-On Review - Light Up Construction Bricks". techagekids.com. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
- ^ Austen, Ian (February 2, 2005). "Building a Legal Case, Block by Block". New York Times. Retrieved October 8, 2018.