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Bricks in Motion
Bricks in Motion
We are a friendly filmmaking community devoted to the art of stop-motion animation using LEGO® and similar construction toys. Here, you can share your work, join our community of other brickfilmers, and participate in periodic animation contests!
A place to discuss, share, and create stop motion films.
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Vim, Lego isn't going to shoot down thousands of videos from Youtube because they have Lego in them. And you can probably sell your own DVDs too.
does anybody know if there has been a theatre-length feautre film that was actually in theaters, made with legos?
lets say you make a live action video and in the background theres your house that some company made. Do you get in trouble for that no then why would you get in trouble for making a video with legos.:/
LEGO seems to have embraced the brickfilming hobby. With the release of their Studios theme, they seemed to be encouraging brickfilming. Also many of their promotional videos have stop motion animation in them. Also I have never heard of a case where LEGO went after people's brickfilms.
Well LEGO have had Paganomation make a Toy Story commercial for them so I don't think LEGO mind, tbh.
I read something somewhere about a legal issue similar to this. Using the blocks are OK as long as you don't show the LEGO bit on top of the brick. The minifigures are what LEGO was fussy about. For a little contest, I don't think you have a problem at all also it comes down to how it's used.
There is this thing called like 'Fair Use of Copyrighted Material' and there are certain categories that would probably be allowed. One of those being satirical. If your movie was satirical then if LEGO wanted to start something and you had a good lawyer then you have no worries.
But again, here we hold plenty of contests which have rules against copyrighted material and minifigs are used and that so don't sweat, you'll be fine. 
well, rigth now youtube hasnt any problems with me using lego for my videos 
i just became a partner, so i also now get money for the videos.
okay, in a way, Lego can sue me...
This is an interesting topic as I've held back from applying for the Partner Program (Youtube sent me details on this about a year or so ago) as my videos are Star Wars related. I thought it was a double-whammy really as one, I thought Lego didn't like people making money off their stuff and two, I think I read somewhere that Lucas doesn't like people making money off his Star Wars universe as well.
I've seen some Partners pages which a mixture of their own creations and the odd SW related video as well. How do you get round that...?
Cheers for any advice.
Fireforest101 makes money off his 'hoth hotel' or something like that video.
It depends on who you are.
MATT
There's some interesting discussion going on here. On their website, LEGO have a fair use policy relating to non-commercial online content that says you can feature LEGO products as long as you don't use the logo itself and you include the standard "not authorised, endorsed, etc" disclaimer.
I haven't been able to find any published information about commercial use, but there's a general feeling among people with contacts in the LEGO company that asking for permission will lead to an automatic denial. That's just how legal departments work. It's easier to turn something down than to investigate it on its merits.
There are examples of unlicenced commercial works that feature LEGO prominently, the best being the Brick Testament books. These can be argued to be analogous to brickfilms in that they use a complete LEGO environment to tell their stories.
tl;dr version: There's plenty of brickfilmers who are partners. I wouldn't worry about it.
And it's trademark, not copyright. Or copyrigth.
As we are now in production of a Brickfilm with a budget and distribution deal, we have spent some time and legal work on this issue. The LEGO logo is a Trademark, but so is the Minifigure. So they do have enough legal standing to file a lawsuit. They probably would lose it but it could cost tens of thousands of dollars to defend.
It seems that context is the key motivation behind LEGO legal department going after the (for profit) film maker. There is a book in national publication (for profit) called "The Brick Testament" a series of bible stories using LEGO parts. It is going into its 5th publication and LEGO has not made a peep. Nor will they. So if you plan to make a buck, keep in mind that it must be kid friendly material.
The Brick Testament is full of non-kid friendly material. I don't really think that's the key.
I am YouTube Parter and I am making mainly claymations. But I made a little Brickfilm last week and uploaded it to YouTube. I was thinking about this. But I don't think YouTube can't delete the video for using Legos.
Jargon, you are correct that The Brick Testament has a bunch of off the wall stuff in it. His website blog is certainly out of bounds for kids. Insiders tell me LEGO won't go after him because of the perception of being kid friendly. and they don't want to start a holy war.
I don't think there should be a problem with it.
It's perfectly okay to have product placement in films, it happens all the time. In most movies, you'll see cars from certain car companies. But that doesn't seem to be a problem.
Though, I plan to put a little thing in my future films that says something along the lines of "LEGO, the LEGO brick, Knob elements and the minifigure are registered trademarks of the LEGO group. Annoying Noises Productions is not associated or indorsed by the LEGO Group."
Just to give them the credit they deserve.
I don't think there should be a problem with it.
It's perfectly okay to have product placement in films, it happens all the time. In most movies, you'll see cars from certain car companies. But that doesn't seem to be a problem.
Though, I plan to put a little thing in my future films that says something along the lines of "LEGO, the LEGO brick, Knob elements and the minifigure are registered trademarks of the LEGO group. Annoying Noises Productions is not associated or indorsed by the LEGO Group."
Just to give them the credit they deserve.
Yea...just like you said, I saw someone using a PSP and even said PSP in a movie and I don't think Sony minds.
Does he use the word "Lego" or just "brick?
Last edited by topit (June 2, 2011 (10:12am))
You probably mean word? 
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