Author: Christoph Bartneck

I am not always happy with how the LEGO Company is treating enthusiastic fans concerning the usage of the LEGO brand. While the company did in the past claim copyright to Minifigures I was not able to find a relevant entry in the relevant registries in the USA. And of course the LEGO company did loose several lawsuit against Mega Blocks in recent years. While the LEGO company is fighting to protect its brand and its market, several competitors have arrived that offer compatible bricks. But what I discovered in a 1 dollar shop recently goes even too far for my taste. The JLB company, whose logo is a clear rip off from the LEGO logo, is offering Ninjago Minifigures. They use the Ninjago logo, the characters names (in this case Lloyd) and even the slogan “Masters of Spinjitzu”. The LEGO company has registered a Ninjago trademark in the USA, so I wonder if you can only buy this little gem or product piracy in New Zealand and China. In any case, I am amazed by JLB’s  boldness of copying a LEGO product. A quick Google search revealed that JLB is also offering Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Super Heroes. I played with Lloyd a little while and the quality of the Minifigure is far below that of the original.