Lego wins brand-infringement lawsuit against Costa Rican company

Lego Group, makers of popular plastic toys, won a brand infringement lawsuit against a Costa Rican company that was illegally using Lego’s name in the country.

The suit by the Billund, Denmark-based company prompted Costa Rica’s National Registry on Feb. 11 to block Multiservicios Lego PZ from conducting any business transactions or legal procedures using the brand name.

Gabriela Miranda Urbina, an attorney at Oller Abogados, said the Danish company hired the firm in April 2013 to pursue the lawsuit, which was filed on July 15, 2013, after an investigation at Costa Rica’s corporate registry offices and in Denmark.

Juan León Campos and Julio González Fallas, owners of the infringing Costa Rican company, claimed the word Lego in their trademark was formed by using two letters of their last names (León and González). To avoid confusion, they said, the company “decided to add the PZ part.” They also argued that the company would not sell toys in Costa Rica.

However, Miranda pointed out that Costa Rican law prohibits trademark theft irrespective of a company’s products.

Miranda’s firm also filed similar complaints against three other companies that allegedly use the Lego brand name. Rulings in those cases are expected in coming days.

The Lego brand was registered in Costa Rica in 1970, and the only official distributor of the popular toy products is Universal.