4 ms·

Why though. You need to physically buy Legos for this project. It's not like their showing how to print Legos

em-bee 5y ago
the patents for lego bricks have long expired, so anyone can copy them, which is why we are now seeing many alternative lego compatible brands, because they are in fact legal. what is not legal is to clone the exact models that lego produces, and to pretend that a clone is lego, which it isn't. but as long as the alternative brands come up with their own models they are perfectly legitimate. as for this microscope, it's not even a product, just a design, there are websites where these designs are shared, and even sold (without the bricks which you have to acquire separately). you can even upload your own designs to a lego ideas site where you can promote it and ask lego to sell it as a model.
lostgame 5y ago
Not to be that person, but it's 'LEGO', whether singular or plural. I used to work for LEGO and they would take this really seriously. Similar to 'deer', one LEGO brick is one LEGO brick. A pile of LEGO bricks is still a pile of LEGO bricks. :) https://twitter.com/lego_group/status/842115345280294912 https://twitter.com/lego_group/status/842115345280294912
- InitialLastName 5y ago
  LEGO (the company)has to take it seriously because they have to defend their trademark. Likewise, the manufacturer of hook-and-loop fabric closures has to be very clear [0] when a hook-and-loop fabric closure is their product or not, but lay-people are happy to call them all Velcro. [0] https://www.velcro.com/about-us/trademark-guidelines/ https://www.velcro.com/about-us/trademark-guidelines/ Edit: pronouns not my game
  - detaro 5y ago
    How is that relevant to the plural case?
  - em-bee 5y ago
    i think you meant to say "their trademark"
    - InitialLastName 5y ago
      Yeah fixed.
- spijdar 5y ago
  Like someone mentioned in another thread (edit: and another reply written while I typed this), LEGO the company cares about this for trademark reasons -- they don't want the word to become generic and lose trademark protections. In the US, I've never actually heard someone use the "correct" plural, everyone just says "Legos", which makes it reasonably correct IMO. That said, I've heard "LEGO" plural occasionally in Europe, more people seem to care across the pond.
- dsr_ 5y ago
  LEGO fan for 40+ years here, last set purchased a couple of weeks ago. Don't bother doing this. - People who care will notice that other people who care use the term appropriately, and will do it themselves. - People who don't care won't, and will be annoyed if you correct them. You can use the difference as a shibboleth.

the patents for lego bricks have long expired, so anyone can copy them, which is why we are now seeing many alternative lego compatible brands, because they are in fact legal. what is not legal is to clone the exact models that lego produces, and to pretend that a clone is lego, which it isn't. but as long as the alternative brands come up with their own models they are perfectly legitimate. as for this microscope, it's not even a product, just a design, there are websites where these designs are shared, and even sold (without the bricks which you have to acquire separately). you can even upload your own designs to a lego ideas site where you can promote it and ask lego to sell it as a model.

lostgame 5y ago

Not to be that person, but it's 'LEGO', whether singular or plural. I used to work for LEGO and they would take this really seriously. Similar to 'deer', one LEGO brick is one LEGO brick. A pile of LEGO bricks is still a pile of LEGO bricks. :) https://twitter.com/lego_group/status/842115345280294912 https://twitter.com/lego_group/status/842115345280294912

InitialLastName 5y ago
LEGO (the company)has to take it seriously because they have to defend their trademark. Likewise, the manufacturer of hook-and-loop fabric closures has to be very clear [0] when a hook-and-loop fabric closure is their product or not, but lay-people are happy to call them all Velcro. [0] https://www.velcro.com/about-us/trademark-guidelines/ https://www.velcro.com/about-us/trademark-guidelines/ Edit: pronouns not my game
- detaro 5y ago
  How is that relevant to the plural case?
- em-bee 5y ago
  i think you meant to say "their trademark"
  - InitialLastName 5y ago
    Yeah fixed.
spijdar 5y ago
Like someone mentioned in another thread (edit: and another reply written while I typed this), LEGO the company cares about this for trademark reasons -- they don't want the word to become generic and lose trademark protections. In the US, I've never actually heard someone use the "correct" plural, everyone just says "Legos", which makes it reasonably correct IMO. That said, I've heard "LEGO" plural occasionally in Europe, more people seem to care across the pond.
dsr_ 5y ago
LEGO fan for 40+ years here, last set purchased a couple of weeks ago. Don't bother doing this. - People who care will notice that other people who care use the term appropriately, and will do it themselves. - People who don't care won't, and will be annoyed if you correct them. You can use the difference as a shibboleth.