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Subject: 
Re: Stud logos in fan apps
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.cad.dev
Date: 
Thu, 7 Feb 2002 03:35:46 GMT
Viewed: 
493 times
  
In lugnet.cad.dev, Tim Courtney writes:
"Dave Schuler" <orrex@excite.com> wrote in message
news:Gr12tJ.9A0@lugnet.com...
In lugnet.cad.dev, Tim Courtney writes:

When I was having the website logo redone right before Kidvention, I had • a
discussion about this with one of LEGO's lawyers.  I had the person
rendering the logo make a brick with 'LDRAW' on the studs in the same • style
text as 'LEGO' is printed on bricks.  When she saw a sample of the logo, • she
requested I put 'LEGO' on the studs, or leave them blank.

  Now that I think of it, this kind of bugs me.  If I could come up with a
low-maintenance way to put "MegaBloks" on every clone.dat brick I would
happily do so.  How can LEGO imply ownership of a virtual brick that • could,
frankly, be any of a dozen clone brands?

Good point.

I suppose I would explain it this way: LDraw.org sticks LEGO on the studs
because we are the ones loyal to the brand.  This is the only plastic brick
company we've interacted with, and this is the one we're sticking to because
the creator of LDraw and the current maintainers of LDraw feel strongly that
way.
If you want to put MegaBloks on your virtual bricks (which use the LDraw
format), its fine by me, and should be fine by everyone else.  I don't see
LEGO having a legitimate problem with it (not that they won't *try* to stop
it though).

I know, of course, that LDraw.org
has always been very (and appropriately) pro-LEGO, but if someone wants to
put LDRAW on a brick stud, and if that same someone isn't passing the • brick
off as a "real" virtual LEGO brick, what's the problem?

I think the problem in that situation was - we were presenting in LEGO's
theme park.  They wanted the brick to represent a real LEGO brick if we
were.  So they gave me the option, either put LEGO on the stud, or put
nothing at all.

I took the opportunity to throw LEGO on the stud and ran with it, naturally
;-)

Is it simply a
matter of respect for the brand?  If so, that's cool--I just wanted to
clarify that one brand isn't assuming ownership of the entire LCad • universe,
both "canonical" and apocryphal.

I think it is a respect for the brand issue.  LEGO isn't assuming ownership
of our unofficial LDraw universe (note - the word LCAD is obsolete - read my
brand building rant on the site) ;-).  If they were, they'd probably fight
to shut down the K'nex and MegaBloks unofficial libraries.

The other thing is - LDraw by its current nature can't be owned by LEGO, its
nonprofit, and the format is privately owned (Jessimans).

-Tim

Another reason why;
The LDraw library of parts is specifically modelling the
copyrighted/trademarked/patented inventory of Lego brand building toys.  We
know it, they know it. And they have graciously allowed us to do so.  Even
supported our efforts.
So it is reasonable for them to request that any virtual representations of
their product should only have the correct logo, if any are present.
(Frankly, this actually suprised me - I would have thought they would not
want their logo on the parts at all)

And we have stated that all official parts *must* be representations of
actual Lego products.  So we couldn't place a different logo on a stud and
then reasonably claim that a virtual brick from the library was a
representation of a clone brand. That would be duplicitous on our part.

The unofficial clone parts that are compatible with the LDraw system of
tools would be a different matter.  They are not representations of Lego and
should not say Lego on them.  What logo (if present) that they should have
would be dependent on what brand they are, and on the wishes of their
respective trademark owners. Who knows, the clone brands officialdom may not
look to kindly on infringement of their property.  You'd have to ask their
lawyers.

-- Terry K --



Message has 1 Reply:
  Re: Stud logos in fan apps
 
(...) Well, it should be noted that any programs that add a LEGO logo to the tops of studs are going to add the same logo to the studs on clone bricks unless the clones use their own (separate) stud primitives. There's not currently any way (that I (...) (22 years ago, 7-Feb-02, to lugnet.cad.dev)

Message is in Reply To:
  Re: Stud logos in fan apps
 
"Dave Schuler" <orrex@excite.com> wrote in message news:Gr12tJ.9A0@lugnet.com... (...) a (...) style (...) she (...) could, (...) Good point. I suppose I would explain it this way: LDraw.org sticks LEGO on the studs because we are the ones loyal to (...) (22 years ago, 4-Feb-02, to lugnet.cad.dev)

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