Mega Brands
Encyclopedia
Mega Brands, Incorporated , formerly Mega Bloks, Incorporated, is a publicly traded children's toy company. Mega Bloks is the name of their most popular product, a line of construction set
toys, with other brands including Mega Puzzles, Board Dudes and Rose Art. Mega Brands, Inc. distributes a range of toys, puzzles, and craft-based products.
and CEO
, respectively.
On June 15, 2006, following the acquisition of several brand names not associated with construction brick toys, the company again changed its name, this time from Mega Bloks, Inc. to Mega Brands, Inc.
In May 2011, four "past and current executives" were accused by the Quebec regulator Autorité des marchés financiers
of insider trading
with respect to share dealings in 2005, the accused denied any wrongdoing.
Mega also introduced Halo Wars Mega Bloks which was later renamed Halo Mega Bloks. This form of Mega Bloks is favored by people who play the video game Halo,by collectors,and by people who just like to build.This form of Mega Bloks was started in 2009 and has as we know one of the more popular themes in Mega's building sets.
The Lego
Group has filed law suits against Mega Bloks, Inc. in courts around the world on the grounds that Mega Bloks' use of the "studs and tubes" interlocking brick system is a violation of trademarks held by Lego. Generally such law suits have been unsuccessful, chiefly because the functional design of the basic brick is considered a matter of patent
rather than trademark
law, and all relevant Lego patents have expired. In one of the most recent decisions, on November 17, 2005, the Supreme Court of Canada
upheld Mega Bloks' right to continue selling the product in Canada. A similar decision was reached by the European Union
's Court of First Instance
on November 12, 2008 when it upheld a EU trademark agency decision following an objection by Mega Bloks against a trademark awarded to Lego in 1999.
On September 14, 2010, the European Court of Justice ruled that the 8-peg design of the original Lego brick "merely performs a technical function [and] cannot be registered as a trademark". With this being the highest European court, Lego's fight to preserve the design with trademark, as well as patent protection is over.
Unofficial
Media
Construction set
A construction set is a set of standardized pieces that allow for the construction of a variety of different models. The pieces avoid the lead time of manufacturing custom pieces, and of requiring special training or design time to construct complex systems...
toys, with other brands including Mega Puzzles, Board Dudes and Rose Art. Mega Brands, Inc. distributes a range of toys, puzzles, and craft-based products.
History
In 1967, Victor Bertrand and his wife Rita founded the company as Ritvik Toys, Inc. (a portmanteau word based on a combination of Rita and Victor). Ritvik was amalgamated with Ritvik Holdings Inc. on June 30, 1998. On March 19, 2002, the name was changed from Ritvik Holdings Inc. to Mega Bloks, Inc. Currently, the founders' sons Vic Bertrand Jr. and Marc Bertrand are CIOChief innovation officer
A chief innovation officer or CINO is a person in a company who "originates new ideas but also recognizes innovative ideas generated by other people."...
and CEO
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
, respectively.
On June 15, 2006, following the acquisition of several brand names not associated with construction brick toys, the company again changed its name, this time from Mega Bloks, Inc. to Mega Brands, Inc.
In May 2011, four "past and current executives" were accused by the Quebec regulator Autorité des marchés financiers
Autorité des marchés financiers (Québec)
The Autorité des marchés financiers is the body mandated by the government of Québec to regulate the province's financial markets and provide assistance to consumers of financial products and services....
of insider trading
Insider trading
Insider trading is the trading of a corporation's stock or other securities by individuals with potential access to non-public information about the company...
with respect to share dealings in 2005, the accused denied any wrongdoing.
Mega also introduced Halo Wars Mega Bloks which was later renamed Halo Mega Bloks. This form of Mega Bloks is favored by people who play the video game Halo,by collectors,and by people who just like to build.This form of Mega Bloks was started in 2009 and has as we know one of the more popular themes in Mega's building sets.
Lego lawsuits
Lego
Lego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts...
Group has filed law suits against Mega Bloks, Inc. in courts around the world on the grounds that Mega Bloks' use of the "studs and tubes" interlocking brick system is a violation of trademarks held by Lego. Generally such law suits have been unsuccessful, chiefly because the functional design of the basic brick is considered a matter of patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
rather than trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
law, and all relevant Lego patents have expired. In one of the most recent decisions, on November 17, 2005, the Supreme Court of Canada
Supreme Court of Canada
The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. The court grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts, and its decisions...
upheld Mega Bloks' right to continue selling the product in Canada. A similar decision was reached by the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
's Court of First Instance
Court of First Instance
The General Court is a jurisdictional instance of the Court of Justice of the European Union. From its inception on 1 January 1989 to 30 November 2009, it was known as the Court of First Instance .-Competence:...
on November 12, 2008 when it upheld a EU trademark agency decision following an objection by Mega Bloks against a trademark awarded to Lego in 1999.
On September 14, 2010, the European Court of Justice ruled that the 8-peg design of the original Lego brick "merely performs a technical function [and] cannot be registered as a trademark". With this being the highest European court, Lego's fight to preserve the design with trademark, as well as patent protection is over.
External links
OfficialUnofficial
- Blok City - A Mega Bloks reference site detailing old and new sets.
- Bricker - Mega Bloks reference site for set information and reviews aggregator.
Media