Clone Brand LEPIN - LEGO Files Court Action

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Clone Brand LEPIN - LEGO Files Court Action

Post by Toys N Bricks » Sat Sep 24, 2016 6:29 pm

The LEGO Group is taken action on a clone brand known as LEPIN. Their bricks are interchangeable with LEGO pieces. They currently have many sets that look very similar to LEGO, but sells at drastic reduced prices.

LEPIN LEGO Clone Brand



Official LEGO product - LEGO Star Wars 75149 Resistance X-Wing Fighter



Below is more information regarding LEGO's actions on LEPIN:

We would like to confirm that the LEGO Group have recently filed civil actions in China against the manufacturer and distributor of LEPIN branded construction toys. Our cases have been accepted by Chinese courts and are now pending for trials. We expect the 1st instance decision to be handed down in approximately one years' time. Please note that LEPIN will not be legally barred from marketing and selling its products while the case is being heard by the courts.

We deeply appreciate and share the LEGO community's concern and frustration about passing-off or imitation of LEGO products. We are committed to do whatever necessary to protect the LEGO brand and products against undue exploitation, and to minimize the risk of consumers being misled via improper use of LEGO Group intellectual property assets.

We want to thank all of you for your loyalty and support.

Article Link: http://toysnbricks.com/clone-brand-lepi ... rt-action/
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Re: Clone Brand LEPIN - LEGO Files Court Action

Post by captainrex803 » Sun Sep 25, 2016 4:46 am

As Lepin, I'd be more concerned about legal action from Disney...
Look, you wake up one day, and your legs, they just give and you just can't run anymore.

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Re: Clone Brand LEPIN - LEGO Files Court Action

Post by Brick & Blue » Sun Sep 25, 2016 7:18 am

captainrex803 wrote:As Lepin, I'd be more concerned about legal action from Disney...
I agree.

I think this is yet just another confirmation (Like we needed more.) of how much LEGO now over charges for it's products, because they clearly see Lepin as a huge risk to their base.

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Re: Clone Brand LEPIN - LEGO Files Court Action

Post by legoguys » Sun Sep 25, 2016 8:50 am

yes lego may overcharge but when you don't have to pay any licensing costs to Disney, you don't have to design the product, test it and create unique packaging, advertise, etc then your costs are a fraction.

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Re: Clone Brand LEPIN - LEGO Files Court Action

Post by Brick & Blue » Sun Sep 25, 2016 9:58 am

legoguys wrote:yes lego may overcharge but when you don't have to pay any licensing costs to Disney, you don't have to design the product, test it and create unique packaging, advertise, etc then your costs are a fraction.
No. I'm sick of that excuse.

Is what Lepin doing wrong? Of course. But LEGO sales decreased 2% this year, but their profit rose 10%. That isn't based on licensing cost or design cost, that is 100% price increases. You don't make 10% more when you sell 2% less unless it's just price increases.

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Re: Clone Brand LEPIN - LEGO Files Court Action

Post by DarthPaka » Sun Sep 25, 2016 10:34 am

I've bought some of these knock off minifigs and they're actually pretty awesome, and cheap too!! :mrgreen:

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Re: Clone Brand LEPIN - LEGO Files Court Action

Post by Richard J. » Sun Sep 25, 2016 3:09 pm

Lego really shouldn't have used Chinese factories. They pretty much guaranteed knockoffs would be produced by the bucket.

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Re: Clone Brand LEPIN - LEGO Files Court Action

Post by dr_spock » Sun Sep 25, 2016 6:30 pm

Brick & Blue wrote:
legoguys wrote:yes lego may overcharge but when you don't have to pay any licensing costs to Disney, you don't have to design the product, test it and create unique packaging, advertise, etc then your costs are a fraction.
No. I'm sick of that excuse.

Is what Lepin doing wrong? Of course. But LEGO sales decreased 2% this year, but their profit rose 10%. That isn't based on licensing cost or design cost, that is 100% price increases. You don't make 10% more when you sell 2% less unless it's just price increases.
Profit is equal to total revenue minus total expenses. A 10% profit increase based on price increases when sales revenue drops 2% doesn't jive. If anything the price increases could be a cause for sales to fall Y/Y. I think more likely the profit increase is helped from lower expenses.

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Re: Clone Brand LEPIN - LEGO Files Court Action

Post by stevebuscemi » Sun Sep 25, 2016 8:41 pm

Screw those greedy money grubbing LEGO owners. They already overcharge their plastic, which is now made in China anyway. And why not have a company who can put out a $100-200 Mil. Falcon? I'm not paying $5000 for an aftermarket one. Or a $100 Green Grocer.

It just goes to show how much LEGO is gouging us when a company like this can put out such a drastically cheaper product. They also make a few sets that LEGO hasn't ever made.

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Re: Clone Brand LEPIN - LEGO Files Court Action

Post by captainrex803 » Mon Sep 26, 2016 2:38 am

STAR
WNRS




Gotta love it :mrgreen:
Look, you wake up one day, and your legs, they just give and you just can't run anymore.

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Re: Clone Brand LEPIN - LEGO Files Court Action

Post by Dryurcik » Mon Sep 26, 2016 7:00 am

Brick & Blue wrote:
legoguys wrote:yes lego may overcharge but when you don't have to pay any licensing costs to Disney, you don't have to design the product, test it and create unique packaging, advertise, etc then your costs are a fraction.
No. I'm sick of that excuse.

Is what Lepin doing wrong? Of course. But LEGO sales decreased 2% this year, but their profit rose 10%. That isn't based on licensing cost or design cost, that is 100% price increases. You don't make 10% more when you sell 2% less unless it's just price increases.
Just curious where did you find those figures? I could only find this and it is only current through 2015.

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Re: Clone Brand LEPIN - LEGO Files Court Action

Post by slacker » Mon Sep 26, 2016 9:07 am

stevebuscemi wrote:Screw those greedy money grubbing LEGO owners. They already overcharge their plastic, which is now made in China anyway. And why not have a company who can put out a $100-200 Mil. Falcon? I'm not paying $5000 for an aftermarket one. Or a $100 Green Grocer.

It just goes to show how much LEGO is gouging us when a company like this can put out such a drastically cheaper product. They also make a few sets that LEGO hasn't ever made.
Hothbricks has a photo of the UCS MF.

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Re: Clone Brand LEPIN - LEGO Files Court Action

Post by stevebuscemi » Mon Sep 26, 2016 5:50 pm

Dryurcik wrote:
Brick & Blue wrote:
legoguys wrote:yes lego may overcharge but when you don't have to pay any licensing costs to Disney, you don't have to design the product, test it and create unique packaging, advertise, etc then your costs are a fraction.
No. I'm sick of that excuse.

Is what Lepin doing wrong? Of course. But LEGO sales decreased 2% this year, but their profit rose 10%. That isn't based on licensing cost or design cost, that is 100% price increases. You don't make 10% more when you sell 2% less unless it's just price increases.
Just curious where did you find those figures? I could only find this and it is only current through 2015.
LEGO is making gobs of money.

That' s the full summary of any report they put out.

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Re: Clone Brand LEPIN - LEGO Files Court Action

Post by StClair » Mon Sep 26, 2016 6:05 pm

While I agree that I hate watching prices rise (and I have to budget my purchases) one must keep in mind that LEGO is a company. For other companies to swoop in and steal their work isn't acceptable. LEGO artists and builders design the sets, minifigures and parts. On top of paying licensing fees to Disney.

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Re: Clone Brand LEPIN - LEGO Files Court Action

Post by getpaidz » Tue Sep 27, 2016 4:51 am

“The problem is that the fake products today, they make better quality, better prices than the real products, the real names,” Haven't you all heard of this quote from Alibaba Group founder? :roll:

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Re: Clone Brand LEPIN - LEGO Files Court Action

Post by NIGELTTF » Tue Sep 27, 2016 9:59 am

getpaidz wrote:“The problem is that the fake products today, they make better quality, better prices than the real products, the real names,” Haven't you all heard of this quote from Alibaba Group founder? :roll:
Which is weird, given the only Lego clone brand that actually matched the quality was Tycho. Which stopped making bricks in 1989.

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Re: Clone Brand LEPIN - LEGO Files Court Action

Post by classicspacefan » Tue Sep 27, 2016 10:33 am

A couple of thoughts on this:

Recreating retired high end sets does not hurt the Lego group, it hurts resellers. I think the copies of current sets (Technic Porsche/Disney Castle/current Modular sets) isn't right, and I would not purchase any of those since it would directly hurt Lego and the companies they pay licensing fees to.

Currently, I do not have a lot of sympathy for Lego with the upcoming release of the USC Death Star. I own all the UCS sets to date, but that streak will end at this Death Star since the whole scenario feels like a double middle finger directed at resellers and collectors alike. $100 price jump for an updated model that has a UCS label on it this time, but feels more like a re-release and a money grab. I understand the job of a company is to make a profit, but 10188 was a hot topic with Lego enthusiasts for years, and feel it would have been better for Lego's PR to move on.

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Re: Clone Brand LEPIN - LEGO Files Court Action

Post by stevebuscemi » Tue Sep 27, 2016 5:13 pm

I've held enough knock-off LEGO to know that the right brands, actually are the same or higher quality. Many of them have arm printing whereas the LEGO doesn't. Lots of figures like SDCC figures, etc that you can't even get without paying $50-100+ for one figure.

I think LEGO could knock out these types of brands if they didn't sell their items for such exorbitant prices. We've grown so immune to it that we say "less than 10c a brick is a deal!" when we should be saying more like 3-5c a brick.

$350 Ghostbusters HQ should be a $199 set and they'd still make plenty and knock out competitors selling for $125.

And it's not like anyone with half a brain can't tell the difference. LEGO is stamped on 99.9% of their bricks. You have to be pretty stupid to not see the difference.

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Re: Clone Brand LEPIN - LEGO Files Court Action

Post by rich sandor » Tue Sep 27, 2016 6:25 pm

Lego is bar none the best. The best should cost the most. Competition is good, but Lepin is BODLY ripping off Lego. For goodness sake they could at least change the box art and design of the set.. I dont mind buying clone minifigs for my kid of characters that dont exist in Lego form, but I wont buy them if we can get a real Lego one. Thats my stance on it.

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Re: Clone Brand LEPIN - LEGO Files Court Action

Post by DarthPaka » Tue Sep 27, 2016 11:40 pm

http://dooleysminifigurestore.tictail.com/products


Bought 60 figs, all were great quality except 1, Vulture, was missing an arm but no biggie, got 4 free figs too!! Super fast shipping from Missouri to BC Canada, 9 days :mrgreen:

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