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LEGO fight Against Chinese counterfeit LEGO
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Comments
This will not slow down my purchasing from LEGO, but it will definitely make me think twice about buying anything on eBay, and even Bricklink, if they filter over.
By the way I think this is highly illegal, and I would not support any of these companies. Its theft plain and simple. Buy it if you want, its akin to shoplifting in my eyes.
I think custom figs are fine, they are purchasing legitimate LEGO items, and then using their own ability to make the figures more valuable. I applaud these folks. Even custom parts I am fine with, such as BrickArms. These folks are using good business sense to capitalize on the success of LEGO. I support them whenever I can. Custom instructions, custom printed parts, all great. Fun, and clever folks who work hard to provide some additional choices.
But I have ZERO tolerance for the thieves and scum who steal a companies property, to cheaply knock it off and then resell it. In fact if I knew of a dealer selling these knowingly I would not purchase ANYTHING from them, legitimate LEGO or not.
I'll step down from my 'high horse' now, but lets not forget what this garbage counterfeit stuff really is.
PS. I don't think you'll have a problem on bricklink buying genuine figures. ebay is a completely different matter of course.
In reference to the question: "So are customs of other people's IP OK for you, so long as they use genuine lego parts? That's what many of the highly rated customisers do - make versions of Super Heroes and the like that lego don't make. Sure they are not ripping off lego, but they are ripping of the companies who hold the IP for the various characters."
I think that is a very legitimate question. And it shows why its dangerous sitting on a 'high horse'. I have always felt I was purchasing someones 'art' work. Sort of like buying a great MOC, if for example I purchase a 'customized' figure, or playset, that is not available through LEGO. Which I have done, quite a lot actually. But a case could be made, the artist does not have the 'right' to use this IP.
Further I prefer purchasing items like BrickBuildersPro does, where he creates his own 'LEGOIZED' for lack of a better term items, which have his own style and flair, and do not use an IP.
But it shows you where black and white can quickly become gray.
I love the innovation some folks show, like that 'crazy arms' idea. That was clever. But I just hate it when people try to do a direct, blatant, inferior copy and try to pass it off as something else.
Those are my thoughts anyhow....
I normally try to use Lego parts but think nothing of using brickforge or brickwarriors parts if they are better than the Lego equivalent, or Lego doesn't make what I want.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Custom-Made-lego-10182-Cafe-Corner-Modular-Building-Set-RARE-RETIRED-Town-City-/252025061171?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3aaddd3f33
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Custom-Copy-lego-10185-Green-Grocer-Modular-Building-Set-RARE-RETIRED-Town-City-/252025090718?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3aadddb29e
This item is a copy custom-made works of LEGO 10182 Coffee Corner. It is just 10% bricks parts of the item from original Lego, e.g. cherry, windows,etc. Most of brick parts and accessories are made by difference factories in China. All of them can compatible with Lego parts & bricks and in good quality. Durable, similar material but required care during using and playing. However, they are not as perfect as Lego bricks and BUILDING IS NOT EASY! It might be a slightly difference in colour. REFUND FOR THIS ITEM IS NOT ACCEPTED!
More COPY WORKS of Modular Building Sets are available or would come out in the future,Such as 10196-Grand Carousel, 10143- Dealth star and 10179-Millennium Falcon 10179,10197-Fire Brigrade.
"However, they are not as perfect as Lego bricks and BUILDING IS NOT EASY!"
I hope anyone who purchases this junk can't even get the bricks to clutch,even with glue >:)
Anyone watch antiques roadshow? It's not uncommon someone will come on with a fancy heirloom plate or vase only to be told it's a cheap mass produced forgery. Maybe in 2120 we'll have people trying to get their fake SDCC figures appraised.
If anything, the lowest I'd stoop is to Bricklink one, using fake Chinese parts to fill in the gaps where TLG isn't making the parts anymore, but frankly I doubt I could even be arsed to do that. I'd rather just stump up the cash for the real deal.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/11/05/us-walt-disney-china-idUKKCN0SU1ED20151105
China will give special trademark protection to Walt Disney Co as the iconic U.S. firm prepares to open its first theme park in mainland China next year, a regulator said on Thursday.
Authorities will carry out a year-long campaign to crack down on Disney counterfeits, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) said, underlining wider concerns that fake products are damaging the country's reputation.
"(This) will promote the development of a fair and competitive market, and protect China's international image for safeguarding intellectual property rights," the statement said, adding the "special operation" would run until October 2016.
How much value would you (the consumer) place on having an anti-counterfeiting label/seal place on the outer packaging of genuine Lego products? It could work in concert with a point-and-shoot app using your cell phone camera. This could be connected to a database for instant authentication, along with potentially covert ink present on the label/seal which is also detectable by cell phones but difficult to counterfeit. This type of brand-protection solution is emerging/present in the pharmaceutical market among others. Other features could be implemented at the brick level (covert material additives) but these require fairly expensive (low $100s) for hand-held readers to authenticate.
My wife (and me until earlier this year) works for the largest security ink company in the world based out of Switzerland. Mainly they provide security solutions for bank notes, but they also cover brand-protection.
But in order to make a business out of this, the value to the consumer and the parent company needs to be realized. So I am curious how many of you would place real value on this and pay a few dollars more per set?
There may not be enough money in it now, but perhaps as more and more people look at bigger sets as 'investments', maybe TLG and consumers would be willing to invest more into brand-protection schemes. I'm just not sure though which is why I asked.
In other countries, the answer to your question is simple - why pay more to guard against something that isn't an issue?
Just not enough meat on that bone... But I thought I'd ask.
Is it a problem, there?
Saw these for sale in Smyths. When this sort of blatant rip-off is allowed to be sold in 'proper' toy shops it's not surprising that fake 'lego' continues to be prevalent in less reputable shops (the campers even have the cmf geek tank top torso design).
My friend told me he saw a stall in the city centre selling all fake Lego figs (superheroes etc). This is in a major UK city, not some random market in China or elsewhere.
As for "less reputable shops", they're all just selling what they are allowed to sell.
I asked earlier about counterfeits in America. I did so because I've never seen them. One reason for that is that it would be difficult to import them into the UK in any quantity. Counterfeits aren't allowed, but clones are, although a clone manufacturer that produces sets that are too similar to TLG's would be skating on thin ice - so they don't!
The same applies to your fake figs - if they really are fakes, trading standards would be interested.
Don't get me wrong - I don't like the clone brands. Construction toys aren't something that are essential to life, nor even remotely obvious, so I think manufacturers have plenty of room to go and invent something of their own. There are even quite a few now-defunct systems that could act as inspiration, but without the failings of the original, for a genuine competitor to be created.
Most toy stores of any size sell multiple brands, and have for a long time. They don't just cover "both ends of the market", they try and cover everything in between as well. There's nothing special about Smyths in this regard, so I'm surprised that it's even worth a mention.
I don't think there is any intention to deceive customers with it. They are clearly not lego. Imitate, yes but deceive, no. They are clearly a cheaper option and some people may think that they are just a cheap alternative to lego. But not actually lego.
I stumbled across these in the "party favors" section at the local Target. Same store has two complete aisles in the toy section with nothing but LEGO, and another aisle with several other brands of competing blocks.
Neither Cobi nor Best-Lock are particularly prevalent in the UK. Cobi's Polish. Go to Poland, and everybody sells their products - including Tesco (the UK's largest supermarket). So is Cobi a major player? It depends where you look.
Of course, having got the attention of Tesco's buyers, it's probably only a matter of time before their products appear in the UK stores, if they don't already. The same goes for Wal-Mart, Best-Lock and Asda (the UK's second largest supermarket - at least, it is for the next couple of months).
So you'll end up with the two largest supermarkets selling their products. Whether they're branded "Cobi" or "Best-Lock" is neither here nor there - they sell the same sets under both names, albeit normally in different countries.
Smyths and Oxford? Smyths have stocked their stuff for a while - I remember seeing a display case with the Titanic in it. Oxford aren't a minor player either - they make Kre-O for Hasbro.
Unless you're globetrotter in a big way AND make the effort to seek out clones, it's easy to dismiss a lot of them whereas they might be a lot bigger than we imagine in other markets.
Don't forget some of the clone manfacturers have licences for some major IP - Oxford has a Disney licence for example. That tends to give them an air of added legitimacy. Furthermore, retailers aren't going have any loyalty to TLG, or anybody else; they simply sell whatever is going to make money for them.
I agree regarding Oxford though, I don't really see much of a problem with them, they're not breaking any laws, and to be fair on them they actually do have some of their own innovations - there's a lot of parts they design themselves, and I think some of their newer minifigs now have rotatable torsos. Whilst it's clear some of their sets are inspired by those produced by Lego, there's also a lot of unique stuff there too - all these things require actual design effort, rather than simply completely stealing someone else's design and then undercutting them on their own product because you haven't had the R&D expense having leeched it off of them.
Seeing the Oxford stuff in Smyth's doesn't really offend me any more than seeing car garages selling Chrysler 300s, the design of which is a blatant rip off of Bentley's. At the end of the day it's legal and if someone wants to pretend they have the real thing by buying a cheap imitation then leave them to it - they were never going to be able to afford the real thing anyway, so it's no harm done.
I've bought Oxford stuff before, some of the military stuff just because it was an easy way of getting some guns for some of my Lego minifigs which obviously TLG don't produce, but I'd never buy the sets like those pictures above because they are just cheap imitations of sets TLG produce. I like the Titanic model they produce, but I'd never buy a set like that from Oxford due to lower quality of parts, perhaps somewhat ironically I'd almost like TLG to copy Oxford on that one.
Some will argue that the 300 is inspired by the Rover P5B offering a "coupe" option which brought a low roof-line and shallow windows, but retained the four door saloon body.
Very cringeworthy when you see one badged up as a Bentley. How can the owners not be embarrassed.