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 Off-Topic / Clone Brands / 2375
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Subject: 
Re: Shifty set
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.off-topic.clone-brands, lugnet.general, lugnet.mediawatch
Date: 
Fri, 19 Nov 2004 11:48:54 GMT
Viewed: 
4242 times
  
Funny, I bought and wrote this...

Now I read this:
http://www.lego.com/eng/info/default.asp?page=pressdetail&contentid=13026&countrycode=2057&yearcode=&archive=false

It is just across the waters, 80 km from here.

10 tons, 10000 sets :-)
That is a lot!

S

PS: I will keep the set, in case I have to do a setup/show sometime again. It
will go under "bad bad bad copies"




In lugnet.off-topic.clone-brands, Dave Schuler wrote:
In lugnet.off-topic.clone-brands, David Eaton wrote:
In lugnet.off-topic.clone-brands, Sonnich Jensen wrote:
In a local shop I noticed a Shifty set, a copy of Lego 1761:
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=942128
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=942129
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=942130
I bought it, just to see what it was, and found:
[snip]
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=942131
[snip]
Though I am surpriced, how this copy can be on European market (is this
allowed?). Probably from the time before EU, I hope that I will not see more
of this. I have seen COBI and Megablocks, at least they create their own
lines, but this Shifty (also named Enlighten) beats all.

They're pretty awful alright. I've only seen a couple Shifty sets, and it looks
like not only do they make mistakes on their boxes, but there's a typo in their
name ;)

I *thought* these were a 'China-only' brand, and even then were iffy, so I'm
pretty suprised to see them appear in the EU. Someone I know tried to buy one
off of Ebay (again, just to check it out), but the item had to be removed from
Ebay due to the copyright infringement by Shifty on Lego (no violation by the
seller, I don't think).

Wow!  I've seen all kinds of bootleg stuff on Ebay, but this is the first time
I've heard of a removal due to copyright infringement.  I can't find any other
current Shifty auctions, so maybe Ebay is on the lookout for the ersatz brand.

Just wondering should I build the copy? Or just throw it away?

I'll probably keep it, for use in exhibitions.

I'd say keep it as a shining example of the horrificness of clones.

It would be a nice side-by-side comparison to show how bad they can be.

I think Shifty wins the prize for "Worst Clone Brand".

As far as compatible brands go (base on my earlier 2x4 brick metric (which may
be ignored at the reader's option!)), Shifty is definitely first of the worst.
Ultra-Blox and Bricks By The Pound are both close, but they use a softer grade
of plastic and don't seem to foster any illusions about their brand legitmacy.

Dave!



Message has 2 Replies:
  Re: Shifty set
 
(...) It's not quite accurate for them to describe all of the sets as "blatant copies" of LEGO sets. Granted, many sets were direct copies, and Shifty certainly copied numerous patent-protected parts, but the Shifty castle set that I bought has no (...) (20 years ago, 19-Nov-04, to lugnet.off-topic.clone-brands, lugnet.general, lugnet.mediawatch)
  Lego Company chooses poorly? (was re: Shifty set)
 
(...) charity, presumeably for distribution to the poor. I read between the lines that this is Finnish law, that siezed illegal goods can be destroyed or given to charity. The article claimed that the clones were dangerous and could break in normal (...) (20 years ago, 25-Nov-04, to lugnet.off-topic.clone-brands, lugnet.general, lugnet.mediawatch)

Message is in Reply To:
  Re: Shifty set
 
(...) Wow! I've seen all kinds of bootleg stuff on Ebay, but this is the first time I've heard of a removal due to copyright infringement. I can't find any other current Shifty auctions, so maybe Ebay is on the lookout for the ersatz brand. (...) It (...) (20 years ago, 13-Oct-04, to lugnet.off-topic.clone-brands, lugnet.general)

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