Lego mulls letting customers 3D print their own bricks
Faced with declining sales due to competition from digital games, Lego is among the companies looking at 3D printing as a potential fix.
http://gigaom.com/2014/03/03/lego-mulls-letting-customers-3d-print-their-own-bricks/
“Letting”. Interesting.
Well, each original brick contains the transmarked logo. So it’s their call.
The brick mechanism itself is not protected and there are many “compatible” brands.
I have never yet seen a compatible brick that actually snaps together and loose again with the… Let’s call it snappiness… Of real Lego bricks. There are better and worse ones but they all suck. Presumably due to looser tolerances.
So in the end you better make molds of the original ones (with the logo removed)
Having a TM logo on their bricks doesn’t prevent someone making duplicates. They’ve challenged companies on patent grounds, but I can’t see them going after individuals. Hence my incredulity at “letting”. It’s not their place to “let” or “not let” someone make bricks in their own house.
I’m suspicious of this report. Lego just became the most profitable toy company in the world. They certainly aren’t hurting for cash. If they did this it would probably be for customization, ie: design your own mini fig.
People are already 3D printing their own “Lego”. There is no “let”
Its a bunko cause. Its out of patent and out of luck. All they can do is stop you using their name.