|
Warning: this post contains language concerning and links to LEGO depictions of
materials that some may consider offensive and/or inappropriate for children.
A fan of The Brick Testament alerted me via
e-mail last night to the apparent use of an image from The Brick Testament on
the official LEGO website. He couldnt positively identify the illustration,
but noted that it looked a lot like my style. What was most confusing and
confounding was that this image seems to be an illustration one of the Bibles
several mass circumcision scenes! And that it is being used on a part of the
LEGO website that gives advice to parents of young LEGO fans, in this instance
concerning General Party Tips for throwing a great LEGO-themed birthday party.
I quickly followed
the link (in
case the image has been removed by now, heres a
screen
capture of how the image was being used) and immediately recognized the image
as indeed being from The Brick Testament, though I couldnt immediately
recognize which specific story it was from. Seeing that line-up of male
minifigs depositing round yellow 1x1 plates into a barrel had me almost certain
that it would indeed turn out to be from a mass circumcision story. Looking
through the archives, it does bear strong resemblance to
this illustration from Genesis, and
this
illustration from Joshua, and
this illustration from King David.
But eventually I recognized my minifig depiction of Gideon and was able to track
down the
original image on my site. So as it turns out, the image on parents.lego.com
does not portray freshly hacked-off foreskins being dropped into a barrel, but
rather golden earrings taken as booty after 120,000 Midianites were killed by
the Israelites. These stolen earrings are about to be used to create a golden
idol which the Israelites will proceed to prostitute themselves to.
While it is less significantly less disturbing an image to appear on
parents.lego.com (under the party suggestions heading, no less) when those
round yellow 1x1 plates are recognized as not intended to represent shorn
foreskins, it should be noted that this image is taken from a particularly
depraved Bible story in which the hero Gideon takes two prisoners of war and
commands his young boy of a son to publicly execute them. When the boy is too
scared to do so, Gideon executes them himself in one of the
more
memorable Biblical execution scenes so far illustrated in The Brick Testament:
So the question remains: How on earth did this photo end up being used used as a
promotion photo on the official LEGO website? I can only imagine it was a
mistake of some sort. For, if it was intentional, it would have to mean that
either:
1. It was a prank. A LEGO.com web designer was seeing what she could get away
with.
or more insidiously:
2. LEGO believes it has the right to use any images of its product in a
promotional context, no matter who build the LEGO construction or who took the
photo.
But since it is almost certainly neither of the above, I cant help but have a
great curiosity how this happened. Did a LEGO web designer mistake my image for
one that belongs to LEGO? Is that image from The Brick Testament (and possibly
others) in some database of images that LEGO web designers can draw from? If
so, how did that happen?
Part of me is tempted to refrain from bringing this matter to LEGOs attention,
since it mostly strikes me as a humorous and harmless mistake, and theres a
certain honor in having a Brick Testament image used in a positive way on the
official LEGO website.
I could even use the gaff to playfully mock LEGOs sometimes overactive legal
deptartment by sending them an official cease-and-desist letter. But in the end
it seems most prudent to respectfully inform LEGO of the mistake and stick up
for my own copyright on the image.
Its not always easy to figure out how to contact people (or the right people)
at LEGO, though, so I have both sent in a letter through their websites
Customer Service form and also posted here on the chance that someone at LEGO
might read it and pass it on to the appropriate department.
Of course, if this matter actually gets investigated (which Im almost certain
it wont), Id love to hear how this happened! :)
-Brendan Powell Smith
|
|
|
|
1. It was a prank. A LEGO.com web designer was seeing what she could get
away with.
|
That is quite possible I think. There was a pre-promotional image of an
EXO-Force model with a prominent XFORSKN sticker on its groin (my copy is lost
unfortunately) and, more recently Star Wars had
this great promotion on
a mock up. Possibly the version of the site that was seen was never meant to go
live.
Tim
|
|
|
In lugnet.lego, Brendan Powell Smith wrote:
|
Warning: this post contains language concerning and links to LEGO depictions
of materials that some may consider offensive and/or inappropriate for
children.
A fan of The Brick Testament alerted me via
e-mail last night to the apparent use of an image from The Brick Testament on
the official LEGO website. He couldnt positively identify the illustration,
but noted that it looked a lot like my style. What was most confusing and
confounding was that this image seems to be an illustration one of the
Bibles several mass circumcision scenes! And that it is being used on a
part of the LEGO website that gives advice to parents of young LEGO fans, in
this instance concerning General Party Tips for throwing a great
LEGO-themed birthday party.
I quickly followed
the link (in
case the image has been removed by now, heres a
screen
capture of how the image was being used) and immediately recognized the
image as indeed being from The Brick Testament, though I couldnt immediately
recognize which specific story it was from. Seeing that line-up of male
minifigs depositing round yellow 1x1 plates into a barrel had me almost
certain that it would indeed turn out to be from a mass circumcision story.
Looking through the archives, it does bear strong resemblance to
this illustration from Genesis, and
this illustration from Joshua, and
this illustration from King David.
But eventually I recognized my minifig depiction of Gideon and was able to
track down the
original image on my site. So as it turns out, the image on
parents.lego.com does not portray freshly hacked-off foreskins being dropped
into a barrel, but rather golden earrings taken as booty after 120,000
Midianites were killed by the Israelites. These stolen earrings are about to
be used to create a golden idol which the Israelites will proceed to
prostitute themselves to.
While it is less significantly less disturbing an image to appear on
parents.lego.com (under the party suggestions heading, no less) when those
round yellow 1x1 plates are recognized as not intended to represent shorn
foreskins, it should be noted that this image is taken from a particularly
depraved Bible story in which the hero Gideon takes two prisoners of war
and commands his young boy of a son to publicly execute them. When the boy
is too scared to do so, Gideon executes them himself in one of the
more memorable Biblical execution scenes so far illustrated in The Brick
Testament:
So the question remains: How on earth did this photo end up being used used
as a promotion photo on the official LEGO website? I can only imagine it was
a mistake of some sort. For, if it was intentional, it would have to mean
that either:
1. It was a prank. A LEGO.com web designer was seeing what she could get
away with.
or more insidiously:
2. LEGO believes it has the right to use any images of its product in a
promotional context, no matter who build the LEGO construction or who took
the photo.
But since it is almost certainly neither of the above, I cant help but have
a great curiosity how this happened. Did a LEGO web designer mistake my
image for one that belongs to LEGO? Is that image from The Brick Testament
(and possibly others) in some database of images that LEGO web designers can
draw from? If so, how did that happen?
Part of me is tempted to refrain from bringing this matter to LEGOs
attention, since it mostly strikes me as a humorous and harmless mistake, and
theres a certain honor in having a Brick Testament image used in a positive
way on the official LEGO website.
I could even use the gaff to playfully mock LEGOs sometimes overactive legal
deptartment by sending them an official cease-and-desist letter. But in the
end it seems most prudent to respectfully inform LEGO of the mistake and
stick up for my own copyright on the image.
Its not always easy to figure out how to contact people (or the right
people) at LEGO, though, so I have both sent in a letter through their
websites Customer Service form and also posted here on the chance that
someone at LEGO might read it and pass it on to the appropriate department.
Of course, if this matter actually gets investigated (which Im almost
certain it wont), Id love to hear how this happened! :)
-Brendan Powell Smith
|
A long time ago, in a different far far away galaxy, I had a run in with the
Lego legal department. I was buying an old store model on ebay and got an
e-mail from one of their lawyers. She said Lego wanted the model back that I was
high bidder on. I sort of chuckled and then answered her saying No Way. I sent
my phone number and she called me and said that Lego owned the property and it
was illegally sold and if I was such a fan of Lego I would want to return it. I
answered by saying that I am a big fan and wanted to save it as Lego destroyes
its old displays. She mumbled something and hung up. I called Legos customer
service and was passed around a bit and finally talked to someone rather high up
in the pecking order. This person was very accomadating and after I told my
story he told me not to worry; they did not want it back and would talk to the
legal department and the woman I talked to in particular. Never heard another
word, except I did receive a letter of apology from lego. That is my story of
my run in with the Lego legal department. John P
|
|
|
In lugnet.fun, John Patterson wrote:
|
A long time ago, in a different far far away galaxy, I had a run in with the
Lego legal department. I was buying an old store model on ebay and got an
e-mail from one of their lawyers. She said Lego wanted the model back that I
was high bidder on. I sort of chuckled and then answered her saying No Way.
I sent my phone number and she called me and said that Lego owned the
property and it was illegally sold and if I was such a fan of Lego I would
want to return it. I answered by saying that I am a big fan and wanted to
save it as Lego destroyes its old displays. She mumbled something and hung
up. I called Legos customer service and was passed around a bit and finally
talked to someone rather high up in the pecking order. This person was very
accomadating and after I told my story he told me not to worry; they did not
want it back and would talk to the legal department and the woman I talked to
in particular. Never heard another word, except I did receive a letter of
apology from lego. That is my story of my run in with the Lego legal
department. John P
|
Thats...really odd. I know Im not alone in this, but they actually sent me
a display item several years ago (the 6 tall cardboard Tahu standee). Ive
also had a local LEGO rep offer to hook me up with one of the gigantic
lifesize Pakari masks (unfortunately, I ended up moving before I ever saw her
again, and the odd thing is that it turned out I only lived a few blocks from
her, so I could have just gone and collected it in person except she never
volunteered her name or address). Im sorta hoping to run into one of the LEGO
reps thats local to my new area so I can see if itd be possible to get one of
those 2 tall posterboard replicas of the Batman minifig that theyve got up in
all the TRU stores.
|
|
|
In lugnet.fun, Timothy Gould wrote:
|
|
1. It was a prank. A LEGO.com web designer was seeing what she could get
away with.
|
That is quite possible I think. There was a pre-promotional image of an
EXO-Force model with a prominent XFORSKN sticker on its groin (my copy is
lost unfortunately) and, more recently Star Wars had
this great promotion
on a mock up. Possibly the version of the site that was seen was never meant
to go live.
|
Heh. Thats even worse than the image of an actual Playboy pinup that can be
found on the box of a particular Hasbro Star Wars collectible. Seems that way
back when Star Wars was first filmed, the model makers had a slightly ribald
sense of humor, so they shrunk down a centerfold pinup and stuck it on the back
wall of the bridge of the Tantive IV. When Hasbro released a very short-lived
Collectors Series of large starships, the photo they put on the box gives a
clear view of that pinup poster, though its only large enough that you can
identify it for what it is.
|
|
|
I will get this fixed.
Steve
|
|
|
In lugnet.fun, Steve Witt wrote:
|
I will get this fixed.
Steve
|
Thanks, Steve.
Ill reply to your private e-mail momentarily.
Best,
-Brendan
|
|
|
In lugnet.fun, David Laswell wrote:
|
In lugnet.fun, John Patterson wrote:
|
A long time ago, in a different far far away galaxy, I had a run in with the
Lego legal department. I was buying an old store model on ebay and got an
e-mail from one of their lawyers. She said Lego wanted the model back that I
was high bidder on. I sort of chuckled and then answered her saying No Way.
I sent my phone number and she called me and said that Lego owned the
property and it was illegally sold and if I was such a fan of Lego I would
want to return it. I answered by saying that I am a big fan and wanted to
save it as Lego destroyes its old displays. She mumbled something and hung
up. I called Legos customer service and was passed around a bit and
finally talked to someone rather high up in the pecking order. This person
was very accomadating and after I told my story he told me not to worry;
they did not want it back and would talk to the legal department and the
woman I talked to in particular. Never heard another word, except I did
receive a letter of apology from lego. That is my story of my run in with
the Lego legal department. John P
|
Thats...really odd. I know Im not alone in this, but they actually sent
me a display item several years ago (the 6 tall cardboard Tahu standee).
Ive also had a local LEGO rep offer to hook me up with one of the gigantic
lifesize Pakari masks (unfortunately, I ended up moving before I ever saw
her again, and the odd thing is that it turned out I only lived a few blocks
from her, so I could have just gone and collected it in person except she
never volunteered her name or address). Im sorta hoping to run into one of
the LEGO reps thats local to my new area so I can see if itd be possible to
get one of those 2 tall posterboard replicas of the Batman minifig that
theyve got up in all the TRU stores.
|
I would love to see a copy of that letter. I am having my problems with them as
well. Do you still have a copy I could get??
Dan
|
|
|
|
|
Part of me is tempted to refrain from bringing this matter to LEGOs
attention, since it mostly strikes me as a humorous and harmless mistake,
and theres a certain honor in having a Brick Testament image used in a
positive way on the official LEGO website.
I could even use the gaff to playfully mock LEGOs sometimes overactive
legal deptartment by sending them an official cease-and-desist letter. But
in the end it seems most prudent to respectfully inform LEGO of the mistake
and stick up for my own copyright on the image.
Its not always easy to figure out how to contact people (or the right
people) at LEGO, though, so I have both sent in a letter through their
websites Customer Service form and also posted here on the chance that
someone at LEGO might read it and pass it on to the appropriate department.
Of course, if this matter actually gets investigated (which Im almost
certain it wont), Id love to hear how this happened! :)
-Brendan Powell Smith
|
A long time ago, in a different far far away galaxy, I had a run in with the
Lego legal department. I was buying an old store model on ebay and got an
e-mail from one of their lawyers. She said Lego wanted the model back that I
was high bidder on. I sort of chuckled and then answered her saying No Way.
I sent my phone number and she called me and said that Lego owned the
property and it was illegally sold and if I was such a fan of Lego I would
want to return it. I answered by saying that I am a big fan and wanted to
save it as Lego destroyes its old displays. She mumbled something and hung
up. I called Legos customer service and was passed around a bit and finally
talked to someone rather high up in the pecking order. This person was very
accomadating and after I told my story he told me not to worry; they did not
want it back and would talk to the legal department and the woman I talked to
in particular. Never heard another word, except I did receive a letter of
apology from lego. That is my story of my run in with the Lego legal
department. John P
|
Do you have any video of the Brick Testament. I am looking for videos for the
museum.
www.brickmuseum.net
Maybe something with a little less foreskin??
Dan
|
|
|