Most of us liked to play and build things with those colourful building block in our childhood knowns as LEGOs blocks. Most of the children like to play and compete with their friends and siblings to see who will make the bridge or building faster. LEGO from its origin was very popular among every section of society as it keeps children busy in playing and learning simultaneously.
It is always being seen as a toy which teaches children aspects of engineering. But after some years of foundation it had controversy with famous Canadian company MEGA block which is still ongoing in court. This report will be focusing on how the LEGO blocks were founded, its popularity, also about the MEGA BLOK and their copyright issues.
The LEGO Group History
“The name 'LEGO' is an abbreviation of the two Danish words "leg godt", meaning "play well"” [1].
FOUNDED BY Ole Kirk Kristiansen
FOUNDATION YEAR 1932
FAMOUS PRODUCT LEGO BRICK
ACHIEVEMENT “TOY OF THE CENTURY”
CURRENT OWNER Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen [1]
LEGO group is one of the biggest manufacturers of toys in today’s world. LEGO being a proud company quotes that “The LEGO brick is the most famous product of the company which is being titled as “TOY OF THE CENTURY”. The toy has gone under many developments, changes but the background idea remains the same till now that is basic building brick. The most loved and famous current form of brick was launched in 1958”. [1]
LEARNING WITH LEGO
LEGOs are always kid-favorite, while playing with them they even don’t know how they are learning. Every time when they have to build a new thing kid has to think about the new ideas of construction and structural engineering. It is unimportant just to learn laws of science from books. While, playing with LEGO blocks if kids are not learning the fundamentals directly from books or any other source then they can the principle of structural science in action and can learn from them. Some of the common activities which children do and can learn from them are:-
SKYSCRAPERS. How tall a building could be made without any support so that it doesn’t fall. Also to which part of building support of a pillar is needed.[2]
BRIDGES. Constructing a bridge needs to think about different civil engineering aspects about the tolerance of bridge, where it need to give support and many more. Kids can see how much of coins their bridge can tolerate.[2]
FLOATING BOAT CHALLENGE. For the concept of airplane streamline shape is really important; same is with the case of boats. It’s hard to keep the boat float if the shape is incorrect so this could be another challenge by children to make the boat float built by them using LEGO blocks. Further they can see how much weight their boat can tolerate before it just gets sink and how they can increase the size of boat to make it to tolerate more weight.[2]
There are many more activities through which young kid can learn.
MEGA BLOKs
Mega Blok foundation. “The company was founded in 1967 by Ritvik Holdings and became public in 2002. Mega Blok is the second largest toy making company in the world and first in Canada. Their most popular toy interlocking toys are being sell in more than 100 countries. There are two types of blocks are designed by the company for two different age group, one for children under age of 5 other over five years old. Mega blocks were successful in challenging LEGOs monopoly in interlocking building category which further leads to copyright issue between them”. [3]
(The above data is being taken from a website “FUNDING UNIVERSE” which provides information for number of companies. link in bibliography.) Controversy of copyrights.
Canada based Mega company was being challenged by Lego company in court about the trademark of holding the design of LEGO block but Mega brands win over securing the legal trademark in an European court. The same decision was even announced by a lower court. [4] “Lego’s bricks can’t be legally protected by trademark law because their two rows of interlocking studs are a functional, technical shape that cannot become the property of any one company” said by the European court in Luxembourg. Mega brand faced number of court challenges by the Legos but the win over 15 cases in which one was filled in Canadian court of justice. [5]
CONCLUSION. LEGO from their foundation was accepted and loved around the world. Always proved itself as a learning toy for kid which help them to learn civil and structural engineering concepts. It’s also true that not only Lego is the one who did this job, after couples of year Mega Blocks also serve the society in similar way. Though these two had couples of controversy which is even being going on but both of give children amazing toy to make childhood interesting. Despite who is better and original every kid will appreciate their products in future also.
BIBLIOGRAPHY.
[1] T.F. Mortensen. “The Lego History.” Lego, 17 Oct. 2017, [www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/lego-group/the_lego_history.]www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/lego-group/the_lego_history.
https://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/lego-group/the_lego_history[2] Discovery Centre, Ed., “LEGO My Science,” Discovery Center of Idhao, 30-Nov-2017. [Online]. Available: https://www.dcidaho.org/lego-my-science-10-engineering-lego-activities-for-kids/. [Accessed: 24-Nov-2018].
https://www.dcidaho.org/lego-my-science-10-engineering-lego-activities-for-kids/[3] Discovery Centre, Ed., “LEGO My Science,” Discovery Center of Idhao, 30-Nov-2017. [Online]. Available: Https://www.dcidaho.org/lego-my-science-10-engineering-lego-activities-for-kids/. [Accessed: 24-Nov-2018].(n.d.). Retrieved November 25, 2018, fromhttp://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/mega-bloks-inc-history/http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/mega-bloks-inc-history/
[4] “Lego loses trademark fight to Mega Brands,” CBC, The Associated Press , 14-Sep-2010.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/lego-loses-trademark-fight-to-mega-brands-1.920323
[5] Ross Marowits. “Mega Brands Secures Legal Trademark Win over Rival Lego in European Court.” Tronto Star, 14 Sept. 2014, www.thestar.com/business/2010/09/14/mega_brands_secures_legal_trademark_win_over_rival_lego_in_european_court.html.
https://www.thestar.com/business/2010/09/14/mega_brands_secures_legal_trademark_win_over_rival_lego_in_european_court.html