Lego’s core patent on the stud-and-tube interlocking brick system expired in 1988. Dozens of compatible manufacturers have entered since. Lego retains overwhelming market share.
The Original Patent
Patented in Denmark in 1958: DK119113 (Google Patents). When patents expired, competitors could legally copy the geometry — but replicating Lego’s manufacturing precision proved harder.
Why Trademark Failed Too
The European Court of Justice ruled in 2010 that Lego’s brick shape is functional and cannot be monopolized through trademark. Shapes necessary to achieve a technical function cannot be appropriated. Lego could not exclude competitors from the basic brick geometry.
What Lego Actually Owns
Manufacturing precision, brand equity built over decades, and exclusive licensing for Star Wars, Marvel, and Harry Potter — none of which any compatible maker can use. Patents buy time. What companies do with that time determines whether they need patents to stay ahead.
For informational purposes only. Not legal advice.
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