Lepin continues to steal fan designs
Despite the legal setbacks that Lepin, the clone brand that has produced knock-off LEGO sets for years, the company has not stopped the practice of stealing fan designs.
Lepin is a brand that has stolen intellectual property from the LEGO Group, reproducing official LEGO sets and the elements within them, then selling these inferior quality versions. Lepin lost a case at the Guangzhou Intellectual Property Court in China to the LEGO Group.
That has not stopped another of the shady practices that the company indulges in, with fan designs continuing to be ripped off and advertised on the website Lepin World. In the case of ‘MOC Fiat 500 F by Saabfan Mutil color 50005’, the creator of the build is credited – but has not given permission for the design to be used in this way.
‘@Saabfan: Contact us for an offer money for your working design’, the website declares, misunderstanding the way that creatives expect to be remunerated for their original work.
Gabriele Zannotti, who had created the model with saabfan and uploaded it to LEGO Ideas, shares his thoughts on Flickr:
What. The. Hell? Lepin Fiat 500 F by Saabfan
Yesterday a fan sent me this link where Lepin (does it still exist?) seems wanting to sell our rejected Lego Ideas project on their website.
1) Saabfan and me are not affiliated with this.
2) They used our images without our consent.
3) At least use the updated and better design! C’mon ?
4) They say: “@Saabfan: Contact us for an offer money for your working design”! First do. Then ask? ?
5) This is both quite funny and sad.
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Author Profile
- Graham was the Brick Fanatics Editor up until November 2020. He has plenty of experience working on LEGO related projects, including LEGO Star Wars: The Force of Creativity. He has contributed to various websites and publications on topics including niche hobbies, the toy industry and education.
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