LEGO has won a court case against two manufacturers in China that make BELA construction sets are almost identical to the famous toys from Denmark.
China Shantou Intermediate People’s Court ruled in September that certain BELA products infringed upon the copyrights of the LEGO Group and that manufacturing and selling of those products constituted acts of unfair competition.
It is the first time LEGO has filed and won an anti-unfair competition case against imitators in China.
The court’s decision means the two companies must stop copying the packaging and logos of LEGO products. The court also decided that the unique appearance the LEGO Friends range was also protected by China’s anti-unfair competition laws.
In a statement about the court’s decision, Peter Thorslund Kjær, Vice President, Legal Affairs in the LEGO Group, said: “We think this is very important for the continued development of a favorable business environment for all companies operating in the Chinese market.”