I spotted earlier today a company selling giant Lego blocks to be used for
creating storage bays etc. I wonder if they may be sailing a bit close to
the wind by calling their product Legioblock?

--
€¢DarWin|
_/ _/

Are they exact but larger replicas of the interlocking mechanism?
If so then they will get done. Otherwise, well, its probably not going to
hurt Lego much, but they are apparently looking for new markets. Apparently
there are 6 lego bricks for every person living on the planet at the moment.

Brian

--
Brian Gaff....Note, this account does not accept Bcc: email.
graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them
Email:
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________


"Steve Firth" wrote in message
...
I spotted earlier today a company selling giant Lego blocks to be used for
creating storage bays etc. I wonder if they may be sailing a bit close to
the wind by calling their product Legioblock?

--
.DarWin|
_/ _/

Brian Gaff wrote:
Are they exact but larger replicas of the interlocking mechanism?
If so then they will get done. Otherwise, well, its probably not going to
hurt Lego much, but they are apparently looking for new markets. Apparently
there are 6 lego bricks for every person living on the planet at the moment.

Most of which live lurking on the bedroom floor, sharp side up. Just ask
any parent....


--
Tciao for Now!

John.

"Brian Gaff" wrote:
Are they exact but larger replicas of the interlocking mechanism?

They ate concrete rather than plastic so the blocks don't clip. The do have
eight pips per block like Lego.

I wondered about the name because Lego threatened to sue the Uni department
that I worked at in the 80s because we described a block histogram as a
"Lego plot". I got a personal letter from their legal eagles and had to
send them a signed apology for abusing the Lego(tm) trademark.

On 25/07/2013 17:11, John Williamson wrote:
Brian Gaff wrote:
Are they exact but larger replicas of the interlocking mechanism?
If so then they will get done. Otherwise, well, its probably not
going to hurt Lego much, but they are apparently looking for new
markets. Apparently there are 6 lego bricks for every person living on
the planet at the moment.

Most of which live lurking on the bedroom floor, sharp side up. Just ask
any parent....

Pah, they're nothing - it's the upside down 3-pin plugs that you want to
watch out for!

SteveW

On Thu, 25 Jul 2013 22:04:51 +0100, SteveW wrote:

On 25/07/2013 17:11, John Williamson wrote:
Brian Gaff wrote:
Are they exact but larger replicas of the interlocking mechanism?
If so then they will get done. Otherwise, well, its probably not
going to hurt Lego much, but they are apparently looking for new
markets. Apparently there are 6 lego bricks for every person living on
the planet at the moment.

Most of which live lurking on the bedroom floor, sharp side up. Just
ask any parent....

Pah, they're nothing - it's the upside down 3-pin plugs that you want to
watch out for!

Just as traumatic (but not so painful):

Just after lunch. Bed not made (only had a sheet on it anyway, flung back
when I got up). Cat had crept in to sleep on bed.

Decided to lie down for a bit due to aching back (had been working in an
awkward space). Lie down (wearing just shorts) and fling sheet over me.

What landed on me (bare legs and stomach) was spatterings of cat sick and
a dead mouse.....


--
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK: http://www.mirrorservice.org
My posts (including this one) are my copyright and if @diy_forums on
Twitter wish to tweet them they can pay me £30 a post
*lightning surge protection* - a w_tom conductor

SteveW wrote:
On 25/07/2013 17:11, John Williamson wrote:
Brian Gaff wrote:
Are they exact but larger replicas of the interlocking mechanism?
If so then they will get done. Otherwise, well, its probably not
going to hurt Lego much, but they are apparently looking for new
markets. Apparently there are 6 lego bricks for every person living on
the planet at the moment.

Most of which live lurking on the bedroom floor, sharp side up. Just ask
any parent....

Pah, they're nothing - it's the upside down 3-pin plugs that you want to
watch out for!

They're bad, but they don't come in hundreds.


--
Tciao for Now!

John.

On Thu, 25 Jul 2013 16:55:09 +0000 (UTC), Steve Firth
wrote:

"Brian Gaff" wrote:
Are they exact but larger replicas of the interlocking mechanism?

They ate concrete rather than plastic so the blocks don't clip. The do have
eight pips per block like Lego.

I wondered about the name because Lego threatened to sue the Uni department
that I worked at in the 80s because we described a block histogram as a
"Lego plot". I got a personal letter from their legal eagles and had to
send them a signed apology for abusing the Lego(tm) trademark.

I find actions like this purplexing. I know they have a legal right
to do this but you naming a chart 'lego plot' is not going to harm
their business one iota.

[I once received a similar threatening email (sent on Christmas day
IIRC) asking me to desist using something by a company called
'Belbin'. I had absolutely nothing to do with the alleged copyright
or trademark infringement BTW]
--
(\__/) M.
(='.'=) If a man stands in a forest and no woman is around
(")_(") is he still wrong?

Mark wrote:
On Thu, 25 Jul 2013 16:55:09 +0000 (UTC), Steve Firth
wrote:

"Brian Gaff" wrote:
Are they exact but larger replicas of the interlocking mechanism?
They ate concrete rather than plastic so the blocks don't clip. The do have
eight pips per block like Lego.

I wondered about the name because Lego threatened to sue the Uni department
that I worked at in the 80s because we described a block histogram as a
"Lego plot". I got a personal letter from their legal eagles and had to
send them a signed apology for abusing the Lego(tm) trademark.

I find actions like this purplexing. I know they have a legal right
to do this but you naming a chart 'lego plot' is not going to harm
their business one iota.

[I once received a similar threatening email (sent on Christmas day
IIRC) asking me to desist using something by a company called
'Belbin'. I had absolutely nothing to do with the alleged copyright
or trademark infringement BTW]

Toys'R'Us have a policy of threatening to sue for trademark and
copyright infringement if you use "apostrophe R apostrophe" in the
middle of your trading name and they find out.

--
Tciao for Now!

John.

Mark wrote:
On Thu, 25 Jul 2013 16:55:09 +0000 (UTC), Steve Firth
wrote:

"Brian Gaff" wrote:
Are they exact but larger replicas of the interlocking mechanism?

They ate concrete rather than plastic so the blocks don't clip. The do have
eight pips per block like Lego.

I wondered about the name because Lego threatened to sue the Uni department
that I worked at in the 80s because we described a block histogram as a
"Lego plot". I got a personal letter from their legal eagles and had to
send them a signed apology for abusing the Lego(tm) trademark.

I find actions like this purplexing. I know they have a legal right
to do this but you naming a chart 'lego plot' is not going to harm
their business one iota.

Well it harmed their business slightly because I now refuse to buy Lego(tm)
products.

Two reasons really one was harassing me and my colleagues the other because
they reneged on their promise not to sell military models and toy guns.

--
€¢DarWin|
_/ _/

On 25/07/2013 14:30, Steve Firth wrote:
I spotted earlier today a company selling giant Lego blocks to be used for
creating storage bays etc. I wonder if they may be sailing a bit close to
the wind by calling their product Legioblock?


Legioblock is a registered trade mark, so the registrar obviously saw no
conflict in the names and Lego would have had an opportunity to object
before the name was registered.

I suspect that Lego is registered for games and playthings and probably
anything else they can actually justify by use but not for building
materials, unless they have a construction industry arm I haven't heard
of. If so, the building materials company could even have called their
product Lego without infringing the trade name.

Colin Bignell

John Williamson wrote:
Mark wrote:
On Thu, 25 Jul 2013 16:55:09 +0000 (UTC), Steve Firth
wrote:
"Brian Gaff" wrote:
Are they exact but larger replicas of the interlocking mechanism?
They ate concrete rather than plastic so the blocks don't clip. The do have
eight pips per block like Lego.
I wondered about the name because Lego threatened to sue the Uni department
that I worked at in the 80s because we described a block histogram as a
"Lego plot". I got a personal letter from their legal eagles and had to
send them a signed apology for abusing the Lego(tm) trademark.
I find actions like this purplexing. I know they have a legal right
to do this but you naming a chart 'lego plot' is not going to harm
their business one iota.
[I once received a similar threatening email (sent on Christmas day
IIRC) asking me to desist using something by a company called
'Belbin'. I had absolutely nothing to do with the alleged copyright
or trademark infringement BTW]

Toys'R'Us have a policy of threatening to sue for trademark and copyright
infringement if you use "apostrophe R apostrophe" in the middle of your
trading name and they find out.

Locally we had Virgin Windows, a company started by Mr Virgin. Richard
Branson sued him and won. Mr Virgin's defence was that he started his
company in the 1960s. The judge said that didn't count.

As bad as the treatment handed out to the owner of the Olympic Cafe.

--
€¢DarWin|
_/ _/

Nightjar wrote:
[snip]

I suspect that Lego is registered for games and playthings and probably
anything else they can actually justify by use but not for building
materials, unless they have a construction industry arm I haven't heard
of. If so, the building materials company could even have called their
product Lego without infringing the trade name.

Well yes but it doesn't always work that way. As witness Virgin Windows and
Virgin computers. Branson doesn't sell either but his company successfully
sued both businesses.

And my computer graphics had no relationship to childrens' toys.

--
€¢DarWin|
_/ _/

On 26/07/2013 10:42, Steve Firth wrote:
Nightjar wrote:
[snip]

I suspect that Lego is registered for games and playthings and probably
anything else they can actually justify by use but not for building
materials, unless they have a construction industry arm I haven't heard
of. If so, the building materials company could even have called their
product Lego without infringing the trade name.

Well yes but it doesn't always work that way. As witness Virgin Windows and
Virgin computers. Branson doesn't sell either but his company successfully
sued both businesses.

Computers would be an easy win. They are trade mark Class 9, which
covers communications equipment, which Virgin do supply, as well such
diverse items as teaching apparatus, hazmat suits and sunglasses.

I am not familiar with the case of Virgin Windows, but suspect that may
have sued on the grounds of passing off, rather than trade mark
infringement, as I can see no obvious class overlap.

However, the point about Legioblocks is that it is a registered trade
mark, so it has already been tested for potential conflicts.

And my computer graphics had no relationship to childrens' toys.

Indeed, but that would not stop the lawyers sending out a cease and
desist letter, even if they knew they could not win an action. It shows
their client that they are watching their interests, allows them to send
a large bill to the client and often results in the name being dropped
without any further action.

Colin Bignell

On Friday, 26 July 2013 10:42:56 UTC+1, Steve Firth wrote:
Nightjar wrote:

[snip]



I suspect that Lego is registered for games and playthings and probably

anything else they can actually justify by use but not for building

materials, unless they have a construction industry arm I haven't heard

of. If so, the building materials company could even have called their

product Lego without infringing the trade name.



Well yes but it doesn't always work that way. As witness Virgin Windows and

Virgin computers. Branson doesn't sell either but his company successfully

sued both businesses.

Do you reckon I could sue a certain televison channel for using part of my name and my name +1 :-)

On 26/07/2013 10:28, Steve Firth wrote:
....
Locally we had Virgin Windows, a company started by Mr Virgin. Richard
Branson sued him and won. Mr Virgin's defence was that he started his
company in the 1960s. The judge said that didn't count.

OTOH, McDonald's is banned from opening a restaurant in the Cayman
Islands, following the failure of their case against a local restaurant
and, in Illinois, a Mr Ronald McDonald continued to run McDonald's
Family Restaurant, despite a 26 year legal campaign by the franchise.

Colin Bignell

In message , Nightjar
writes
On 25/07/2013 14:30, Steve Firth wrote:
I spotted earlier today a company selling giant Lego blocks to be used for
creating storage bays etc. I wonder if they may be sailing a bit close to
the wind by calling their product Legioblock?


Legioblock is a registered trade mark, so the registrar obviously saw
no conflict in the names and Lego would have had an opportunity to
object before the name was registered.

I suspect that Lego is registered for games and playthings and probably
anything else they can actually justify by use but not for building
materials, unless they have a construction industry arm I haven't heard
of. If so, the building materials company could even have called their
product Lego without infringing the trade name.

Colin Bignell



Trade names are sector specific in China I beleive but not normally
elsewhere.
--
bert

In message , Nightjar
writes
On 26/07/2013 10:42, Steve Firth wrote:
Nightjar wrote:
[snip]

I suspect that Lego is registered for games and playthings and probably
anything else they can actually justify by use but not for building
materials, unless they have a construction industry arm I haven't heard
of. If so, the building materials company could even have called their
product Lego without infringing the trade name.

Well yes but it doesn't always work that way. As witness Virgin Windows and
Virgin computers. Branson doesn't sell either but his company successfully
sued both businesses.

Computers would be an easy win. They are trade mark Class 9, which
covers communications equipment, which Virgin do supply, as well such
diverse items as teaching apparatus, hazmat suits and sunglasses.

I am not familiar with the case of Virgin Windows, but suspect that may
have sued on the grounds of passing off, rather than trade mark
infringement, as I can see no obvious class overlap.

However, the point about Legioblocks is that it is a registered trade
mark, so it has already been tested for potential conflicts.

And my computer graphics had no relationship to childrens' toys.

Indeed, but that would not stop the lawyers sending out a cease and
desist letter, even if they knew they could not win an action. It shows
their client that they are watching their interests, allows them to
send a large bill to the client and often results in the name being
dropped without any further action.

Colin Bignell
To what extent is it 2tested". Is it not up to lego or their lawyers to
watch applications and object?
--
bert

In message ,
whisky-dave writes
On Friday, 26 July 2013 10:42:56 UTC+1, Steve Firth wrote:
Nightjar wrote:

[snip]



I suspect that Lego is registered for games and playthings and probably

anything else they can actually justify by use but not for building

materials, unless they have a construction industry arm I haven't heard

of. If so, the building materials company could even have called their

product Lego without infringing the trade name.



Well yes but it doesn't always work that way. As witness Virgin Windows and

Virgin computers. Branson doesn't sell either but his company successfully

sued both businesses.

Do you reckon I could sue a certain televison channel for using part of
my name and my name +1 :-)



Only if you've TM'd it - and as you haven't maybe they would turn the
tables.
--
bert

On 26/07/2013 13:55, bert wrote:
In message , Nightjar
writes
On 26/07/2013 10:42, Steve Firth wrote:
Nightjar wrote:
[snip]

I suspect that Lego is registered for games and playthings and probably
anything else they can actually justify by use but not for building
materials, unless they have a construction industry arm I haven't heard
of. If so, the building materials company could even have called their
product Lego without infringing the trade name.

Well yes but it doesn't always work that way. As witness Virgin
Windows and
Virgin computers. Branson doesn't sell either but his company
successfully
sued both businesses.

Computers would be an easy win. They are trade mark Class 9, which
covers communications equipment, which Virgin do supply, as well such
diverse items as teaching apparatus, hazmat suits and sunglasses.

I am not familiar with the case of Virgin Windows, but suspect that
may have sued on the grounds of passing off, rather than trade mark
infringement, as I can see no obvious class overlap.

However, the point about Legioblocks is that it is a registered trade
mark, so it has already been tested for potential conflicts.

And my computer graphics had no relationship to childrens' toys.

Indeed, but that would not stop the lawyers sending out a cease and
desist letter, even if they knew they could not win an action. It
shows their client that they are watching their interests, allows them
to send a large bill to the client and often results in the name being
dropped without any further action.

Colin Bignell
To what extent is it 2tested". Is it not up to lego or their lawyers to
watch applications and object?

If they can discover computer graphics using Lego as a name for a
histogram, they are hardly likely to miss a published application are
they? In any case, the mark has to be distinctive and the Patent Office
will refuse any that are too similar to an existing mark. That obviously
did not happen.

Colin Bignell

On 26/07/2013 13:52, bert wrote:
In message , Nightjar
writes
On 25/07/2013 14:30, Steve Firth wrote:
I spotted earlier today a company selling giant Lego blocks to be
used for
creating storage bays etc. I wonder if they may be sailing a bit
close to
the wind by calling their product Legioblock?


Legioblock is a registered trade mark, so the registrar obviously saw
no conflict in the names and Lego would have had an opportunity to
object before the name was registered.

I suspect that Lego is registered for games and playthings and
probably anything else they can actually justify by use but not for
building materials, unless they have a construction industry arm I
haven't heard of. If so, the building materials company could even
have called their product Lego without infringing the trade name.

Colin Bignell



Trade names are sector specific in China I beleive but not normally
elsewhere.

In the EU, there are 34 different classes of goods and 11 different
classes of services.

http://www.ipo.gov.uk/t-class-guide.htm

Colin Bignell

In message , Bob Eager
writes
On Thu, 25 Jul 2013 22:04:51 +0100, SteveW wrote:

On 25/07/2013 17:11, John Williamson wrote:
Brian Gaff wrote:
Are they exact but larger replicas of the interlocking mechanism?
If so then they will get done. Otherwise, well, its probably not
going to hurt Lego much, but they are apparently looking for new
markets. Apparently there are 6 lego bricks for every person living on
the planet at the moment.

Most of which live lurking on the bedroom floor, sharp side up. Just
ask any parent....

Pah, they're nothing - it's the upside down 3-pin plugs that you want to
watch out for!

Just as traumatic (but not so painful):

Just after lunch. Bed not made (only had a sheet on it anyway, flung back
when I got up). Cat had crept in to sleep on bed.

Decided to lie down for a bit due to aching back (had been working in an
awkward space). Lie down (wearing just shorts) and fling sheet over me.

What landed on me (bare legs and stomach) was spatterings of cat sick and
a dead mouse.....

So you haven't found the fleas yet? [Or, more accurately, the fleas
haven't found you?]
--
Ian

On Fri, 26 Jul 2013 15:43:17 +0100, Ian Jackson wrote:

In message , Bob Eager
writes
On Thu, 25 Jul 2013 22:04:51 +0100, SteveW wrote:

On 25/07/2013 17:11, John Williamson wrote:
Brian Gaff wrote:
Are they exact but larger replicas of the interlocking mechanism?
If so then they will get done. Otherwise, well, its probably not
going to hurt Lego much, but they are apparently looking for new
markets. Apparently there are 6 lego bricks for every person living
on the planet at the moment.

Most of which live lurking on the bedroom floor, sharp side up. Just
ask any parent....

Pah, they're nothing - it's the upside down 3-pin plugs that you want
to watch out for!

Just as traumatic (but not so painful):

Just after lunch. Bed not made (only had a sheet on it anyway, flung
back when I got up). Cat had crept in to sleep on bed.

Decided to lie down for a bit due to aching back (had been working in an
awkward space). Lie down (wearing just shorts) and fling sheet over me.

What landed on me (bare legs and stomach) was spatterings of cat sick
and a dead mouse.....

So you haven't found the fleas yet? [Or, more accurately, the fleas
haven't found you?]

No fleas. The stuff we're using this year seems to work very well.

--
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK: http://www.mirrorservice.org
My posts (including this one) are my copyright and if @diy_forums on
Twitter wish to tweet them they can pay me £30 a post
*lightning surge protection* - a w_tom conductor

On Fri, 26 Jul 2013 11:46:31 +0100 Nightjar wrote :
OTOH, McDonald's is banned from opening a restaurant in the Cayman
Islands, following the failure of their case against a local restaurant
and, in Illinois, a Mr Ronald McDonald continued to run McDonald's
Family Restaurant, despite a 26 year legal campaign by the franchise.

Burger King trades as Hungry Jack's in Australia:

"When Burger King moved to expand its operations into Australia, it found
that its business name was already trademarked by a takeaway food shop in
Adelaide.[1] As a result, Burger King provided the Australian franchisee,
Jack Cowin, with a list of possible alternative names derived from pre-
existing trademarks already registered by Burger King and its then
corporate parent Pillsbury that could be used to name the Australian
restaurants. Cowin selected the "Hungry Jack" brand name, one of
Pillsbury's US pancake mixture products,"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungry_Jack%27s

--
Tony Bryer, Greentram: 'Software to build on',
Melbourne, Australia www.greentram.com

On Fri, 26 Jul 2013 09:43:36 +0100, John Williamson wrote:

Toys'R'Us have a policy of threatening to sue for trademark and
copyright infringement if you use "apostrophe R apostrophe" in the
middle of your trading name and they find out.

Doesn't it have to be a backwards R as well, though I bet they have
registered both forms.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Thursday, 25 July 2013 22:04:51 UTC+1, SteveW wrote:

Pah, they're nothing - it's the upside down 3-pin plugs that you want to
watch out for!

....as my sister found out shortly after jumping off the top of a bunk bed when we were kids!

On Friday, July 26, 2013 11:01:21 PM UTC+1, Dave Liquorice wrote:
Toys'R'Us have a policy of threatening to sue for trademark and
copyright infringement if you use "apostrophe R apostrophe" in the
middle of your trading name and they find out.
Doesn't it have to be a backwards R as well, though I bet they have
registered both forms.

I bet they haven't registered "single prime R single prime" though.

Owain