Lego wins court battle over figurine trademark

British budget building block producer’s challenge dismissed

The General Court of the European Union has ruled in favour of Lego in a case challenging the Danish company’s intellectual property rights to its famous figurines.

READ MORE: Lego investing a billion kroner into sustainable materials

The British company Best-Lock, which manufactures a low-cost range of building blocks compatible with Lego, had challenged Lego’s EU three-dimensional trademark on the figurine design in 2000. However, the appeal court dismissed this on Tuesday.

The case hinged on whether Best-Lock could convince the court that the shape of Lego people was determined by their function and whether they provided a technical solution because they can be joined to other Lego pieces.

The court found that this was not the case.

“The characteristics of the shape of the figures in question are not necessary to obtain a technical result,” it concluded.

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