Guangdong Loongon
{{Short description|Chinese toy manufacturer}}
Guangdong Loongon Animation & Culture Co., Ltd. ({{lang|zh|广东小白龙动漫文化股份有限公司}}), often referred to as Loongon, is a Chinese children's toy manufacturer based in Guangdong and founded in 2003.{{cite web|url=https://loongon.en.alibaba.com/company_profile.html|title=Company Overview - Guangdong Loongon Animation & Culture Co., Ltd.|website=loongon.en.alibaba.com|accessdate=2 July 2017}} Loongon and its family of brands, including Lepin and Cogo are known for producing Lego-compatible brick sets. Loongon is publicly listed as of 2014 as stock 831015 on the Chinese stock exchange known as the National Equities Exchange and Quotations.{{cite web|url=http://www.dachenglaw.com/en/fensuo/31880.html?view=/bjdachenglaw/template/en/print.ftl&id=46c9544c07664a2995ae8b2aa34b6fac|title=Dacheng Advises Guangdong Loongon Animation & Culture Co., Ltd. on NEEQ Listing and Private Placement - Trends - English|website=www.dachenglaw.com|accessdate=2 July 2017}}
Brands
The Loongon is the manufacturer and distributor of the following brands in North America and Europe:{{cite web|url=https://loongon.en.alibaba.com/productlist.html|title=Plastic Building Blocks, Small Bricks Series, Own Doll Strollers direct from China (Mainland)|website=loongon.en.alibaba.com|accessdate=2 July 2017}}
- Loongon
- Kid's Dough
- Huimei Plastic Building Blocks
Lego-compatible:
- Cogo Plastic Building Blocks
- Lepin
Controversies and legal issues
Lepin, a Loongon sub-brand, was accused by some Lego fan builders of taking their designs and creating commercial sets without permission.{{cite web |last=Wheeler |first=Jme |date=14 October 2016 |title=An open letter to Lepin from a frustrated LEGO builder |url=http://www.brickfanatics.com/an-open-letter-to-lepin-from-a-frustrated-lego-builder/ |accessdate=2 July 2017 |website=Brick Fanatics}} Subsequently, in 2016, it was sued by Lego for the manufacturing and distribution of copied Lego IP - not just the bricks, but also the boxes, logos and the user instruction manuals were very similar to those made by Lego. In 2018 Lego won the lawsuit, with Lepin being subject to a fine.{{cite web |date=2016-12-01 |title=Fierce copyright battle mars Lego’s push in China |url=https://cphpost.dk/2016-12-01/news/business/fierce-copyright-battle-mars-legos-push-in-china/ |accessdate=2 July 2017 |website=The Copenhagen Post}}{{cite web|url=http://en.pkulaw.cn/display.aspx?cgid=1970324837806918&lib=case|title=Lego Group v. Guangdong Loongon Animation & Toys Industry Co., Ltd., et al.|website=en.pkulaw.cn|accessdate=2 July 2017}} In 2019, several Lepin executives were arrested, and company assets were seized by the police.{{Cite web |date=2023-11-20 |title=Lepin's Rise And Fall: a Brief Journey |url=https://www.jmbricklayer.com/lepins-rise-and-fall-a-brief-journey/?srsltid=AfmBOorjcvolqClTG7gHVMjFzuBit5dvVzvQWB2H3RRG70kDUNnnFapq |access-date=2024-09-09 |website=JMBricklayer |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |last=Saldivia |first=Gabriela |date=April 27, 2019 |title=Everything Is Not Awesome For Chinese Company Busted For Selling Fake Legos |url=https://www.npr.org/2019/04/27/717840078/everything-is-not-awesome-for-chinese-company-busted-for-selling-fake-legos |work=NPR}} In 2020, the ruling was upheld in the second-instance decision.{{Cite web |date=January 20, 2020 |title=The LEGO Group wins final decisions in major intellectual property lawsuits against Lepin manufacturer in China |url=https://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/news/2020/january/lepin-case/ |website=lego.com}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.loongon.com/ Loongon Website (Chinese)]
Category:Companies listed on the National Equities Exchange and Quotations
Category:Companies based in Guangdong
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