LEGO fight Against Chinese counterfeit LEGO

CCC

Wange and Decool already do V-22 models. Somewhat smaller than Lego's version though.

im2cre8iv

Does LEGO provide a mechanism to report counterfeit LEGO websites?

CCC

No. You can email customer services btu that is about it.

RogerKirk

The sets on Etsy were still there yesterday when I looked. I've not heard anything back from them - do they normally respond to reports? Has anyone else tried reporting them?

Also just back from a holiday and sadden to see at two different tourist sites the gift shops selling counterfeit Lego. OK, they weren't current sets, but were pirate and city themed sets with a fake red logo in Lego's style and similar box art to what what Lego uses. Clearly trying to make it look like real Lego.

CCC

Yeah, those fake sets are common in the Far East but also in touristy type destinations in Greece and Cyprus and probably all over Europe if you look for them.

RogerKirk

CCC said:

Yeah, those fake sets are common in the Far East but also in touristy type destinations in Greece and Cyprus and probably all over Europe if you look for them.

Sadly, the sets I saw were in the UK.

Mr_Cross

I don't know how new this is, but this is pretty new to me.
Fake bricks with LEGO logos are out there.
http://www.brickfinder.net/2020/08/30/fake-lego-imprinted-bricks-found-china/?fbclid=IwAR1fxAve5hsTDO9N_xhmUwC6m0F6QKWCPmny-5uaCvw8667plMDnIaaw1XM
This is very worrying.
I think that just about ends my secondhand buying habits from ebay, facebook and amazon marketplace. I'll be very cautious about any source that isn't directly traceable to LEGO.
I shall be saving receipts as provenence for my purchases in case the need to sell something arises.
Actually, it's not worrying is it? No, it's just really, really bloody annoying.

Charmiefcb

This could cause problems on Bricklink soon enough.

560Heliport

Mr_Cross said:

I don't know how new this is, but this is pretty new to me.
Fake bricks with LEGO logos are out there.
http://www.brickfinder.net/2020/08/30/fake-lego-imprinted-bricks-found-china/?fbclid=IwAR1fxAve5hsTDO9N_xhmUwC6m0F6QKWCPmny-5uaCvw8667plMDnIaaw1XM
This is very worrying.
I think that just about ends my secondhand buying habits from ebay, facebook and amazon marketplace. I'll be very cautious about any source that isn't directly traceable to LEGO.
I shall be saving receipts as provenence for my purchases in case the need to sell something arises.
Actually, it's not worrying is it? No, it's just really, really bloody annoying.

The "yellow" brick in that article looks like Brick Yellow ("tan") to me.

jnscoelho

One could even argue that LEGO benefits from this. If people do become cautious and stop buying unless from LEGO itself, it's a win for them.

andhe

Ooh I can see a "LEGO creates own clone bricks" conspiracy brewing. 

jnscoelho

Lepin is in fact LEGO! That's the final Hidden Side reveal.

CCC

jnscoelho said:

One could even argue that LEGO benefits from this. If people do become cautious and stop buying unless from LEGO itself, it's a win for them.

Or people realise the quality of clone bricks is pretty good and no need to buy the genuine thing any more.

560Heliport said:

Mr_Cross said:

I don't know how new this is, but this is pretty new to me.
Fake bricks with LEGO logos are out there.
http://www.brickfinder.net/2020/08/30/fake-lego-imprinted-bricks-found-china/?fbclid=IwAR1fxAve5hsTDO9N_xhmUwC6m0F6QKWCPmny-5uaCvw8667plMDnIaaw1XM
This is very worrying.
I think that just about ends my secondhand buying habits from ebay, facebook and amazon marketplace. I'll be very cautious about any source that isn't directly traceable to LEGO.
I shall be saving receipts as provenence for my purchases in case the need to sell something arises.
Actually, it's not worrying is it? No, it's just really, really bloody annoying.

The "yellow" brick in that article looks like Brick Yellow ("tan") to me.

Me too. The person writing the article doesn't seem to know much about LEGO colours. They are clearly comparing it to a yellow one and it is way off.

560Heliport

CCC said:

jnscoelho said:

One could even argue that LEGO benefits from this. If people do become cautious and stop buying unless from LEGO itself, it's a win for them.

Or people realise the quality of clone bricks is pretty good and no need to buy the genuine thing any more.

560Heliport said:

Mr_Cross said:

I don't know how new this is, but this is pretty new to me.
Fake bricks with LEGO logos are out there.
http://www.brickfinder.net/2020/08/30/fake-lego-imprinted-bricks-found-china/?fbclid=IwAR1fxAve5hsTDO9N_xhmUwC6m0F6QKWCPmny-5uaCvw8667plMDnIaaw1XM
This is very worrying.
I think that just about ends my secondhand buying habits from ebay, facebook and amazon marketplace. I'll be very cautious about any source that isn't directly traceable to LEGO.
I shall be saving receipts as provenence for my purchases in case the need to sell something arises.
Actually, it's not worrying is it? No, it's just really, really bloody annoying.

The "yellow" brick in that article looks like Brick Yellow ("tan") to me.

Me too. The person writing the article doesn't seem to know much about LEGO colours. They are clearly comparing it to a yellow one and it is way off.

Glad it's not just my phone- I was beginning to wonder if I was seeing colors wrong! How does Brickfinder not know LEGO colors? Brick yellow/ tan is hardly new.

SumoLego

jnscoelho said:

Lepin is in fact LEGO!

Soylent Green is Peeeeeopole!

bricktuary

jnscoelho said:

Lepin is in fact LEGO! 

Noooooooooo.No. That's not true! That's impossible!

jnscoelho

bricktuary said:

jnscoelho said:

Lepin is in fact LEGO! 

Noooooooooo.No. That's not true! That's impossible!

Search your feelings, you know it to be true!

560Heliport

I'm a little surprised that fakes that say LEGO haven't appeared long before now... except that maybe they have? 

CCC

I'm a little bit surprised that LEGO can tell they are not genuine LEGO. I wonder if I send them two different coloured dark red parts if they can confirm they are both genuine LEGO.

gmonkey76

I read the coments on the article, and some were saying the article itself is fake. Has anyone seen an official response from LEGO? @drdavewatford

Lordmoral

Not sure if it was mentioned before but the owner of Lepin is apperantly going to jail and has to pay a fine. I would imagine this might mean tnat China is stepping up to fix their cooperation with outside brands:
http://www.brickfinder.net/2020/09/02/lepin-boss-sentenced-six-years-jail-term/

mattytreks

Lordmoral said:

Not sure if it was mentioned before but the owner of Lepin is apperantly going to jail and has to pay a fine. I would imagine this might mean tnat China is stepping up to fix their cooperation with outside brands:
http://www.brickfinder.net/2020/09/02/lepin-boss-sentenced-six-years-jail-term/

If this is the case, why the is the LEPIN website still up and running?  Shouldn't the first order of business be to halt any & all new orders?

560Heliport

Brickfinder... the people who don't know Bright Yellow from Brick Yellow. Or yellow from tan, if you prefer. And I hate to say it, but Mould King made a Hammerhead Corvette! So at least in that respect, they didn't copy LEGO! (I do not at all support any kind of piracy.) (Except by the crew of #6285 Black Seas Barracuda- those minifigs are awesome; they can do whatever they want.)

VorpalRyu

Personally, I'm not entirely convinced that the whole fake Lego article isn't just a hoax... It's been long enough for TLG to put out a statement, but nothing...

panchox1

560Heliport said:

Brickfinder... the people who don't know Bright Yellow from Brick Yellow. Or yellow from tan, if you prefer. And I hate to say it, but Mould King made a Hammerhead Corvette! So at least in that respect, they didn't copy LEGO! (I do not at all support any kind of piracy.) (Except by the crew of #6285 Black Seas Barracuda- those minifigs are awesome; they can do whatever they want.)

the Brick Fan also reported on this.

https://www.thebrickfan.com/raided-lepin-boss-and-associates-sentenced-to-jail/

CCC

He was sentenced to jail. But unfortunately it was a modern jail designed by LEGO and he just left via the open back of the cell.

Lordmoral

VorpalRyu said:

Personally, I'm not entirely convinced that the whole fake Lego article isn't just a hoax... It's been long enough for TLG to put out a statement, but nothing...

That's a good point.

SumoLego

mattytreks said:
Shouldn't the first order of business be to halt any & all new orders?

Not necessarily - Lepin produces non-license enfringing sets (or those not determined to be enfringement).  The sentence is based on prior conduct - and not the subsequent non-enfringy practices of the current product.

If an oil company dumps product in the ocean, and years later is found to negligent (or criminally negligent), the company still continues on, presumably with better safeguards in place to prevent future damage.

Fizyx

SumoLego said:

If an oil company dumps product in the ocean, and years later is found to negligent (or criminally negligent), the company still continues on, presumably with better safeguards in place to prevent future damage.

Although there is definitely some worthwhile debate to be had about the value of a so-called 'corporate death sentence' for cases of repeated offending, or for particularly large or egregious offenses. 

Cyberdragon

https://vtn.cronopoison.pw/lepin-is-gone.html

What is this...I don't even...what?! My brain hurts!

560Heliport

^ Ow! Mine too! It reminds me of putting something through Google translate half a dozen times, like English to French to German to Spanish to Japanese to Arabic and back to English, then trying to read it. 

SumoLego

Fizyx said:

...so-called 'corporate death sentence'...

Then the corporation 'dies', and its assets, people and IP are sold to other companies - the beat goes on.  Perhaps the idea of a corporate 'death' is symbolic, but symbolism doesn't actually motivate or compel better protections or solutions to the original problem.

CCC

Wow. That review of the Haunted House. It has mentions of their cookie policy, Donald Trump, AROCS, ... but nothing about the Haunted House.

Even multiple Google translations cannot do that. You need a bad journalist / writer in the first place to cut and paste random items first.

cody6268

CCC said:

Wow. That review of the Haunted House. It has mentions of their cookie policy, Donald Trump, AROCS, ... but nothing about the Haunted House.

Even multiple Google translations cannot do that. You need a bad journalist / writer in the first place to cut and paste random items first.

My take--it's another one of those garbage websites with filler just to get ad revenue.

Astrobricks

Probably computer generated.

8BrickMario

This may not be Chinese, but I saw this knockoff of the Grand Piano set in a Hammacher Schlemmer catalogue. Note the curled plant-stalk pieces on the front copying LEGO's pieces. 

560Heliport

Disgusting.

andhe

Saw this in The Range. Gotta give them some credit for somehow mashing up duplo blocks with system dinos. As far as I'm aware it's not ripped off a duplo set, but may be inspired by a moc. Did not purchase. 

CCC

8BrickMario said:

This may not be Chinese, but I saw this knockoff of the Grand Piano set in a Hammacher Schlemmer catalogue. Note the curled plant-stalk pieces on the front copying LEGO's pieces. 

LEGO's is 18+, whereas this one specifically mentions that children construct it.

But yeah, pretty obvious copying but LEGO has the lawyers if they want to take action.

Cyberdragon

Hammacher Schlemmer have been selling fake Lego for years.

https://forum.brickset.com/discussion/27577/fake-technic-from-hammacher-schlemmer

andhe

@Cyberdragon Just a sidenote, I believe Erector is called Meccano in the UK. 

(see thread for context). Gave me a chuckle at least. 

Cyberdragon

andhe said:

@Cyberdragon Just a sidenote, I believe Erector is called Meccano in the UK. 

(see thread for context). Gave me a chuckle at least. 

Yes, but I didn't know that at the time.

bricknation

another place with fakes pretending to be Lego.

https://www.onbuy.com/gb/580-diy-minecraft-my-world-series-figure-bricks-lego-building-blocks~c2296~p29689603/?sid=5124

https://www.onbuy.com/gb/2pcs-large-dinosaur-figure-big-size-indominus-t-rex-blocks-lego-toys~c2297~p29217784/?sid=5124

Cyberdragon

bricknation said:

another place with fakes pretending to be Lego.

https://www.onbuy.com/gb/580-diy-minecraft-my-world-series-figure-bricks-lego-building-blocks~c2296~p29689603/?sid=5124

https://www.onbuy.com/gb/2pcs-large-dinosaur-figure-big-size-indominus-t-rex-blocks-lego-toys~c2297~p29217784/?sid=5124

The first one is a scam. The large set photo and description are not the right set, the little sets shown in the other photos are all there is.

if you came across this item after searching for the large discontinued Minecraft mine from Lego you need to know that this is NOT that set. Not even a copy of it. It is a small set, and honestly if Lego ,would probably be max £40.

Also this is gold

Seller does not deliver to United States

I wonder if that's because they're...well...illegal.

khmellymel

andhe said:

Saw this in The Range. Gotta give them some credit for somehow mashing up duplo blocks with system dinos. As far as I'm aware it's not ripped off a duplo set, but may be inspired by a moc. Did not purchase. 

Saw this in the Lego Store today, so looks very much like a Duplo set rip off:

bricktuary

Shameless!

Cyberdragon

bricktuary said:

Shameless!

Indeed, how dare they lowkey make their T-rex look slightly better than Lego's-I mean....oops...

*knock knock knock* "FBI OPEN UP!" *SMASH!*

The_Rancor

‘Dinosaur World’ does what it says on the tin. Not as cool sounding (or technically era-incorrect) as Jurassic World but definitely keeps things simple.

Just look at the duplo flame element though - that’s the most blatant exact part copy! They could’ve made a flame part in any other shape but they thought ‘nah, just copy Lego’s’.

bricktuary

Yeah, but then they were like - who wants a triceratops, the most disappointing of all the dinosaurs, when you can have some sort of pterosaur instead!

Although that's not technically a dinosaur, so I guess Dinosaur World is wrong too!

Bumblepants

bricktuary said:

Yeah, but then they were like - who wants a triceratops, the most disappointing of all the dinosaurs, 

First of all, how dare you. Second, with horns like that the triceratops were most definitely pointing.