Lego wins its first copyright court case in China

Lego A/S, Europe’s biggest toymaker, said it won its first copyright court case in China.

The China Shantou Intermediate People’s Court has ruled that products under the name Bela, sold by two Chinese companies, infringed upon Lego’s copyrights, the building block maker said in a statement yesterday. The ruling was made in September, but the appeal window only ended last month, Lego said.

The Danish company, which has doubled in size over the past five years, is known for its aggressive use of courts to protect its multi-colored building blocks. In July, the Beijing Higher Court passed a ruling that recognizes the Lego logo and the name in Chinese as ‘well- known’ trademarks in China.

The September ruling is “a strong indication of the continued focus on proper intellectual property protection and enforcement by the Chinese courts,” Peter Thorslund Kjaer, head of Lego’s legal affairs, said in the statement. “This is very important for the continued development of a favorable business environment for all companies operating in the Chinese market.”Bloomberg

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