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The LEGO Trademark Now Recognized as a Well-Known Trademark in China

November 1, 2017 / Allen "Tormentalous" Tran / 14 Comments

Back in September 2016, The LEGO Company started their legal battle against companies that produced knockoff sets. In what appears to be a landmark victory and a first step to take on counterfeiters, The LEGO Group has announced that the LEGO logo and name is now a “well-known” trademark in China meaning that it can now take action against companies that infringe on the trademark.

The Beijing Higher Court passed a ruling earlier this year [July 22, 2017] that recognises the LEGO® logo and the LEGO name in Chinese as ’well-known’ trademarks in China. The well-known trademark recognition is an important milestone in getting broader protection for LEGO trademarks in China. This means that the LEGO Group is now in a better position to act against infringement of LEGO trademarks, also outside the toy category.

Peter Thorslund Kjær, Vice President, Legal Affairs in the LEGO Group, said: “The ruling by the Beijing Higher Court is very important for the LEGO Group. It reflects the significant effort and investment put into marketing the LEGO brand and products towards the Chinese consumers, and it further reduces the risk that consumers in China are misled when they see the LEGO logo or the LEGO name in future. We are now in a better legal position acting against infringement of LEGO trademarks and defending our trademark portfolio.

“We see this as a recognition of our status in China as a known and loved brand by parents and children, and we appreciate the support from the Chinese government and authorities to

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LEGO Ideas Women of NASA (21312) Now Available for Purchase

October 31, 2017 / Allen "Tormentalous" Tran / 8 Comments

The LEGO Ideas Women of NASA (21312) is now available for purchase on Shop@Home. The set retails for $24.99 and has 231 pieces with minifigures featuring some notable women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. I’ve already done an early review of the set and you can check that out here.

Explore the professions of some of the groundbreaking women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) with the LEGO® Ideas Women of NASA set. It features minifigures of 4 pioneering women of NASA— astronomer and educator Nancy Grace Roman, computer scientist and entrepreneur Margaret Hamilton, astronaut, physicist and entrepreneur Sally Ride and astronaut, physician and engineer Mae Jemison—and 3 builds illustrating their areas of expertise. Role-play space exploration from planning to moon landing, beginning with the iconic scene from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1969 of Hamilton with software that she and her team programmed. Build the posable Hubble Space Telescope and launch a LEGO version of the Space Shuttle Challenger with 3 removable rocket stages. The set also includes a booklet about the 4 featured women of NASA, and the fan creator and LEGO designers of this fun and educational set.

LEGO Seasonal 24-in-1 Holiday Countdown Set (40253) Promotion Now Live on Shop@Home

October 31, 2017 / Allen "Tormentalous" Tran / 1 Comment

The LEGO November 2017 promotion for the LEGO Seasonal 24-in-1 Holiday Countdown Set (40253) is now live on Shop@Home. You can get it for free with a purchase of $99 or more, while supplies last. This set looks similar to last year’s 40222 set but are all new ones for 2017. The only bummer about this set is that you can not have all the builds at the same time as you have to take them apart after each one.

The LEGO Batman Movie Kiss Kiss Tuxedo Batman Keychain (5004928) Review

October 31, 2017 / Allen "Tormentalous" Tran / 4 Comments

One of the more elusive polybags for The LEGO Batman Movie when it was first released was the Kiss Kiss Tuxedo Batman Keychain (5004928). The only way to get it earlier this year was to watch the movie at Cinemark Theatres or buy it on the secondary market but now you can get it at Target. You can either purchase $30 worth of LEGO Batman products and get it for free or but it outright for $5.99 each.

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The printing on the minifigure is exclusive to this set and it is a white suit with red kisses all over the front and back of the torso as well as on the arms along with some more kisses on the front and sides of the legs. The cowl technically can not be removed as there is a metal pin going down the cowl, head, and torso however if you want to remove the pin, The Brick Blogger has a very good article on various methods on how to take it out. The only thing that can’t be taken apart are the torso and legs.

It is unfortunate that a cool suit like this came as a keychain but that’s how marketing works. The promotion at Target will run until November 4, while supplies last. My closest store was all sold out last week even before the promo started which was a bummer so I had to get it online. I heard this was happening at some other … Continue

LEGO Ideas The Dive Shop Achieves 10,000 Supporters

October 30, 2017 / Allen "Tormentalous" Tran / 6 Comments

The Dive Shop by RobenAnne is the latest project to achieve 10,000 supporters on LEGO Ideas. It is the fifth project by RobenAnne to get the required number of supporters to advance to the review stage which is an amazing feat in itself. The Dive Shop is another building in the Sea Front Village series and it features things that are need on a diving excursion. The project also proposes seven minifigures as well.

The Dive Shop now joins the Pop-Up Book, Boat House Diner, The Lighthouse, and Jaguar E-Type Roadster as the projects to reach the Third 2017 Review Stage.

Could We Look Forward to LEGO Re-Releasing More Retired Sets?

October 30, 2017 / Allen "Tormentalous" Tran / 28 Comments

Earlier this morning, LEGO announced the re-release of the LEGO Creator Taj Mahal (10256) that will be coming in a few short weeks. I believe this is the fifth “re-release” set that has been announced in the past few years with the Carousel (10257), Winter Toy Shop (10249), UCS Death Star (75159) and the UCS Millennium Falcon (75192) being the first couple. This looks to be a continuing trend that LEGO is doing and it might not be a bad thing. Newer fans are now able to purchase it again, at a slightly higher retail price, but at least it won’t that scarce anymore. This might also be a move to detract resellers since LEGO sets are supposed to be built and not be a form of currency. For example, since the announcement of the new LEGO Star Wars UCS Millennium Falcon (75192), the price of a sealed copy of the original Falcon has dropped considerably on the secondary market.

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LEGO fans have been asking for re-releases of retired sets for a long time and we know that LEGO has been listening. Even LEGO designer Jamie Berard stated it in the Taj Mahal teaser video. Heck, I even did an April Fool’s joke back in 2015 about it. The wheels may have been churning for a while now and it seems that now is a great time for old sets to make a comeback keeping in mind that it’s almost been been a decade … Continue

LEGO Creator Taj Mahal (10256) Officially Announced

October 30, 2017 / Allen "Tormentalous" Tran / 14 Comments

In a surprise announcement, LEGO has revealed that they will be re-releasing the original 10189 LEGO Creator Taj Mahal as a new 10256 set that will be available starting on Cyber Monday, November 27. The set will go for $369.99 and has 5,923 pieces. Check out the full press release below.

10256 Taj Mahal

Ages 16+. 5,923 pieces.
US $369.99 – CA $449.99 – DE 329.99€ – UK £299.99 – DK 2699.00 DKK

Discover the architectural wonder of the Taj Mahal!

Build and discover the Taj Mahal! The huge ivory-white marble mausoleum, renowned as one of the world’s architectural wonders, was commissioned in 1631 by the Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife, the Empress Mumtaz Mahal. This relaunched 2008 LEGO® Creator Expert interpretation features the structure’s 4 facades with sweeping arches, balconies and arched windows. The central dome, subsidiary domed chambers and surrounding minarets are topped with decorative finials, and the raised platform is lined with recessed arches. The model is finished with ornate detailing throughout and intricate tilework around the base. With more than 5,900 pieces, this set is designed to deliver a rewarding building experience and makes a great display piece for the home or office.

LEGO® interpretation of the real-world architectural wonder, the Taj Mahal.
Relaunched 2008 model, featuring 4 facades with arches and arched windows; central dome, 4 subsidiary domed chambers and 4 minarets, all topped with decorative finials; raised platform lined with recessed arches; ornate detailing throughout; and intricate tilework around the base.
Divides into 7 modular sections

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