As you may know the LEGO brand has lots of competitors. The toy-business is a fierce battle-field, where some brands play fair-game by creating their own quality products, while others are total rip-offs of real brands. Most of these products originate in China and are referred to as LEGO clone brands, LEGO rip-offs, LEGO knock-offs or simply… fake LEGO.
Not all construction toy-brands coming out of Asia resort to such low-blow methods. In fact some brands – like Oxford Toys – although similar to LEGO has their own product lines and maintain very high quality standards. On the other hand real clones (isn’t that an oxymoron?) take meticulous care in stealing the box-art, product name and design of real LEGO products with the sole purpose of confusing consumers. Make no mistake: the quality of these products is horrendous, so don’t buy them.
Normally I don’t talk about low quality LEGO clone brands, because I don’t want to give them any free advertisement, however I found some really interesting ones recently that I thought to share. Again, these are only for your education and amusement. I’m not suggesting in any way shape or form that you buy them. These are just for laughs.
Okay, so let’s have some fun and horror! Here I will show you some LEGO Legends of Chima knock-offs. The first sign of a LEGO clone brand is the way they are so (un)creative with product names. They will rip-off a LEGO Ninjago product down to every detail of the box design and then re-name it to Ninjato or Ninjaman, or something equally lame. (Yes, those names are actual clone brandings!) With LEGO Legends of Chima they use names like Legends of Ghima and Legends of Chim. Yeah, right…
Check out this Legends of Ghima set. Notice how they copy the box-design and name and modify it just enough to get away with stealing LEGO’s own products and confuse consumers. Most people won’t notice the subtle change between the “C” and “G” – exactly what clone-brands want.
And here are some Legends of Chim products. The name is not nearly as smart as the above, but I guess clones have their problems too. Speaking of problems it is interesting to note that clone brands are also notorious for ripping each other off; one clone copying the products of another by just adding a little twist – like what you see here.
But my most favorite LEGO Legends of Chima knock-off (if there is such a thing) and what inspired this article is this mix between the LEGO Ninjago Samurai Mech and the LEGO Legends of Chima characters. One thing that is really confusing though is that the Mech has the colors of the Lion Tribe, but it seems like the good-guys are fighting it. As I said; clones are not the most clever. But anyway, I thought this was pretty interesting.
There are tons more of both LEGO Ninjago and LEGO Legends of Chima knock-offs. If you want to go down the slippery slope of LEGO clone brands you can check them out at Alibaba.com, which – not surprisingly – is a Chinese knock-off of eBay full of counterfeit products.
So what do you think of these LEGO clone brands? Have you ever encountered them and perhaps bought one by mistake? And what do you think of the Chima-ized version of the Samurai Mech? Like it? Hate it? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below!
And you may also like to check out the following related posts on (real) LEGO Ninjago and (real) LEGO Legends of Chima sets. Beware of the clones!
You were right, I did like this article! Some of those, like the “Samuria Mech” were just pathetic… 🙄
I know the patent of the basic Lego system has expired, and Oxford and Mega Bloks etc utilize their own design, but I’m unsure of the proper legality of these products…
I’d have liked to see a “Legend of Shama”, that would be pretty funny…
LOL! 😈
Hakan, I assure you they are not legal. If the sole purpose of creating a product is to confuse the consumer it can definitely be challenged in court. The issue is that there is so many of these clones all over China that even if you defeat one, ten others will pop up. It jsut doesn’t make financial sense to fight them all.
LEGO is not the only brand that has this issue. Every name brand that has a factory in China has to deal with this. And what seems to be the standard course of action is instead of fighting them individually within China, just make strong rules to keep off the international market. So usually you can only find these products within China itself, and sometimes other parts of Asia – although they do make it to eBay and other online venues frequently, those listings get shut down fairly fast.
The white jay’s storm fighter is such ripoff though i like those speeders in the last picture
yeah I saw that too!
i no that is the funniest thin i have ever heard i meen chim and gima AND THE SAMURAI MECTH lol i can not belive this por lego 🙁 i meen they think of awesome thins and oter people steel them 🙂 i wish they would try to be smart and do ther own thin 😉 like doctor who (well that wuld only be good if lego did it 🙂 )
Oh, and nya is inside the Lion(Samurai)Mech LOL!!!!
Yeah, I saw that too. LOL!
My child was given a fake Ninjago character after a themed birthday party. It is only by handling the fake stuff one comes to understand the astonishing quality of LEGO. There are mould seam lines, the pieces do not go together or pull apart with even force and the printing is highly substandard. We’ve thrown it in the bin already.
Brian, thanks for sharing that. Yes, when you have the (un)fortune to handle fakes you really start to appreciate LEGO. 🙂
This is only going to get worse when they open a factory in China. WAY worse.
Eric, I totally agree. The Chinese are expert at this and do it with every name brand – not just LEGO. Having LEGO’s factory there is just going to make it so much easier for them to produce knock-offs and even run a few extra batches of the products on LEGO’s own machines off the books and sell them on the black-market. It is already happening in Mexico and the Chinese are way better at it. 🙁
I shall repeat what I commented on Brickset…
NNNNNNOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!
Yeah, my thoughts exactly. 😕
Yeah, the best way to stop the knock- offs, is to warn others and just don’t buy them.
I think the fake ones look kind of neat but I would worry more about the paint on them coming out of China unless the figurine is all plastic. The printing on the characters would probably also come off easily unlikely with a regular lego figurine. I am a big lego fan and would buy even the knock offs if they were in superior condition. i actually just got an old set from lego speed racer to add to my collection.
Natalie, they are not painted. They are made of cheap imitation LEGO elements. These are usually made of brittle plastic pieces that don’t fit together very well and have awful colors. I’m not sure about the quality of the printing of these particular knock-offs as I haven’t seen them personally, but I have seen others and the printing usually looks very weak and faded and they often don’t have gold and silver printing as that’s more expensive to produce. The only LEGO-like brand I know of that is very high quality is Oxford Toys, as I mentioned in the article.
did anyone notice be fore the samurai mech was the storm fighter/ storm glider. (what is it called anyway?) and then the rip off chima sets show the set and then little minifigures at the bottom so people think. ”I get them too! awesome!” and then the spinner set they only changed the name to ”ninja” I guess that’s why you have to pay attention. like the time my mom meant t0 buy fudge bars but instead bought chocolate dipped ice-cream! ( that ice cream is still in our freezer! 😀
You can send me over that ice-cream. 🙄
Why would you mix Chima with Ninjago?!?!?! 😛
>>>.Um Is it weird to want these? Wait ppor quality painting and barely work… Ok forget what I said…>>>>>
this is totally not cool!!!! that is jays storm fighter and nyas mech from NINJAGO!!!!
the white plane IS SUCH A FREAKING (i don’t think that’s a bad word but sorry if i’m wrong)RIP OFF OF JAY’S STORM FIGHTER! WHAT THE HECK!!!!????? I WILL NEVER BUY “NINJA”,”CHIM” OR GHIMA!!!
sorry,i just got angry.
Have these people lost their sense of dignity? How they ever found it in themselves to stoop so low, I don’t know, but those Chima sets, (0r should I say Ghima) are complete nonsense. And what a mean thing to do. Now I know that their are a lot of people in the world who do not care about right and wrong to get money, but the lengths these marketers go to is surprising. But it made for a very amusing post 🙂
Strider, I feel very much like you do. It is just a bad and very discouraging feeling when you work so hard to make something and someone just outright steals it like this. It is not right, and it is not fair. But unfortunately things like this go on in the world – it happens to artists, musicians, writers, and also products. Unfortunately China is a place where things like this are an everyday occurence. 😕
I can’t imagine having a job in China to rip-off LEGO products. That would be horrifying!
People have different mentalities in different countries. I know this is really strange for us, but in China it is the norm. I remember reading on the official LEGO blog that in China it is actually considered flattery if someone tries to copy your product. Yeah, that’s quite different…
I didn’t know there where Lego clones! I always thought the closest clone was Megablocks and stuff like that. Guess I will need to double check Lego boxes from now on. By the way the Samuri Mech looks pretty coll in those colors!
Bug, yes, it is always a good idea to double check the product to make sure it is authentic. If you live in the USA, Canada, Europe, and Australia it is unlikely you will run into rip-off products like this as they are not allowed in stores. But if you shop at places like eBay, fleamarkets and Craig’s List, it is a good idea to check as clones can and will sneak in there. 👿
Those “bikes” in the last picture are the same as those in the Kre-o Transformer sets (well… Optimus prime).
And this brand is also a rip-off (or at least a poor copy) of Lego (it fits horribly by the way).
Heh, I thought there was something-or somethings-like this. Quite absurd.
Rme of M.A.R.S and its lame Transformers rip-offs.
Oops, meant to say “reminds me”.
Hey it’s ninjanut with my new account!
That “Samurai Mech” is really funny, the color-scheme is actually pretty neat though the fact that lions are fighting it is quite odd. The white storm fighter is so bizarre though; it looks like Chim just took Ninjago and gave it a Chima recolor! I wonder how much LEGO looses from the knock-offs though? I mean, most of those who do buy the knock offs wouldn’t be likely to buy LEGO anyways (due to cost) right?
It is likely that LEGO is not loosing much right now as most of these clones are contained within China and some other Asian countries due to strick international trades laws. However I just read it recently that LEGO is planning to move into China, not just to open a factory, but also to cather to the Chinese market. And that is going to be opening a can of worms. 😡
more like a open can of snakes 😉 and black widows and bombs big bombs like atomic bomds yah atomic BOMBS that shure wuld be bad for lego 😉
WHAT IF THE NINJAGO TV SHOW WAS MADE IN CHINA?
AHHHHHHHHHH!
this is the most pathetic thing I’ve seen. The box art is terrible for the Chima nockoffs. I feel sorry for who ever gets stuck with one 🙁
i will never buy a dum thin like that i meen whats this wold coming to beware of the lego rip ofs (that shuld be the name of a book) but they arint even lego 😉
Ah, yes knockoffs… You can find these outside Asia? In here it’s so common… Why, It’s possibly even more common than the real thing!
There was a time when I thought they weren’t so bad. I got like, 3 fake Bionicle sets. Worst. Toy. Ever. Well, Chima fakes haven’t popped up here yet though.
The only building theme I know that can actually compete with Lego is Kre-o. All these rip-off themes are just sad. Even Mega Blocks has the decency to make themes like Halo and Skylanders instead of copying Lego. I’ve seen some of these rip-offs at stores like Dollar General, and they are just sad looking. 🙁 If you can’t match Lego’s quallity then you shouldn’t try ripping them off.
Darkon, yep, that’s a great summary. I didn’t know they are available at Dollar General. Actually, now that I think about it, I have never been to a Dollar General store. Do they have lots of clones? 😐
That is just so sad that it makes me mad. 🙁 👿
what website made this?
I’m not sure what you mean by what website made them. These are clone-brands – they are not made by a website. They are made by Chinese manufacturers. The link to the auction site where I found them is in the article towards the end, links are also written right across the pictures to the individual auction stores. 😉
You can’t buy these can you?
Yes, you can! At the auction site mentioned in the article. 😉
Well, first of all alibaba.com is not ebay “ripoff” – it has started off as a website for manufacturers to get clients and companies to find manufacturers. As for Lego, they create great sets at sometimes ridiculous prices. I agree the imitators are profiting from Legos hard work but also from their greed. If a department store as Walmart, Toys’r’us or others can sell the sets at 80% off and still make money then prices are too high. That said, it’s Lego’s right to set their prices and policies and with that comes the dangers of getting loads of “fakes” same as for any other luxury brand. Not all fakes are bad quality and not in all cases we as consumers need and demand the highest quality. If my 4yr old wants a Chima set but barely knows the characteristics of the real characters and he doesn’t care if the colors are wrong then it’s certainly not a huge deal to me to choose Chim or Ghima sets . I would take an original set but frankly I do think they are way overpriced.
Rossy, that’s an interesting perspective. Thans for sharing. I would say that making items similar to a higher quality/ higher priced good for a different consumer-base is one thing, and ripping off someone’s intellectual property is another. When it comes to quality, durability, play-value, learning value and skill-enhancement LEGO is far beyond most toys, and is even popular as a deeply satisfying hobby for adults. I’m not sure if these rip-off Chinese brands have the same kind of commitment to their customers. It sounds like they are the ones who care about money only. As the saying goes; you get what you pay for. 😉
Exactly, right now i am sure my 4 yr old does not care for the company commitment 😀 but sure cares to have captain Soto etc and as for qualities – frankly have you seen a lego of a toddler? it goes quickly from being a hippo to a zebra to shooting gun to airplane to submarine to giraffe in under 10 minutes and half the time parts of different sets find their way mixed up and mismatched, so what could be a pirate now has a crocodile head and a bicycle for legs …. I do understand and appreciate the adult hobby and even tweenies and teens into it but price point in nowadays is just as important.
I totally agree with you. In my country, Lego is usually 2x even sometimes 3x the price in the US or Canada.
There’s a good reason for the high price- LEGO spends a great deal of time and money designing, developing and testing their sets and product lines; companies who then steal them can afford to sell at a lower price because they don’t spend anything on these R&D expenses (but nonetheless profit from them).
Piotr, yes that’s a very good point. Thanks for sharing.
i even saw a star wars one too
Haha I’ve seen all of them before. In fact, I recently saw fake Star Wars stuff, which I found odd because they chose the most unknown sets.
Ahhh!!!!!!!!!! THAT JUST TICKS ME OFF!!!!!!!! Don’t mess with Ninjago! They copies the Samurai Mech and Jay’s Storm Fighter just with different colors!!! Grrrr….. Stupid knockoffs!
I know right!?
I’ve seen these before and they just make me laugh! Why can’t Lego do anything about them. Or do they just choose not to?
I think they just choose not to. You have to choose your battles. 😉
Actually these chinese sets are made in teh same factories as official western lego for export
Yeah, I was suspecting that. 😈
moi je trouve ca genial ca
Makes sense!
The speeders on on the fake lego chima look better than lego’s speeders.
Hm… well, they are not really like the Speedorz in the game, so they are just different. Also, remember that the quality of these fakes are very-very low. 🙁
ceux qui dise non sont des cétins zinzin!
tes nul ou quoi !
hahahha CHIM …!!
you should know what chim means in korean
It means spit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I almost bought one fake product, a fake Ice Dragon. I’m just glad I didn’t
You can find these in 99cent and up stores and bodegas.
Yes super low quality, but no you are never fooled that it is lego or whatever it’s a knock off of.
Sometimes its worth it to have disopsable toys for the park.
Hal, good point about have some cheap toys for playing outdoors. 🙂
I live in china and i know where they are available i recently bought a couple and their price transfers to about 50 cents of american dollars. I told the clerk this is illegal but he didn’t seem to care, so he was innocent.
I left the packs inside the boxes, i opened one and the pieces were in little baggies. I can’t believe china is making non-licensed products, it is just unbelievable!
By the way i am not asian i just live in china.
Leander, they are copying everything, not just LEGO. China is the land of fake products. 😕
Yeah it’s true. China does make a lot of fake products which are non-licensed. And I saw all these chima sets there.
I think it’s sad. Competing brands ripping-off LEGO just to make money.
Yes, it is sad… 🙁
Sad? Please tell me your joking. Lego is reaping in tons of money. They overprice their sets a lot. Especially now since Lego is making more parts in china and has increased the price of sets. This makes Lego more greedy and not he victim. Due to that I fully suppor all knockoffs as I won’t have to waste more money for a declining quality Lego produces.
I think it’s great actually. It’s very very funny! I would like to buy the Chima super samurai because it looks pretty well designed.
I JUST BOUGHT A LEGO SPIDER-MAN AND A LEGO OBI WAN KENOBI MINIFIGURE FROM SOME RANDOM STORE FOR A CHEAP PRICE and it was a fake, like that legend of Ghima thing. Made by sy, the Spider-man MINIFIGURE had its leg cut in half vertically god!
alibaba is not a fake ebay
No, just the products are!
There are actually quite some original design compatible sets from numerous manufacturers on AliExpress and some of them are the same quality as LEGO, while LEGO quality is getting worse and prices getting higher. They will have to face serious competition soon, if they don’t change something.
I was just wondering if anyone had seen any lego friends knock-offs? There are some ridiculously low priced sets on eBay. Are there sets manufactured for the Chinese market? If so how do you tell the difference. And are the knock offs compatible with original lego sets? Thanks in advance. Lego Newbie. ( I should mention I have been checking them out as party favours for my lego crazed child.)
Oh, yes, LEGO Friends knock-offs are very common, and yes, the are produced in China. The quality is significantly worse than LEGO brands sets. Also, since you mentioned this is for a child, I would strongly advise against getting them, as China has no regards to safety of the materials they use. This is especially important on printed parts where the ink rubs off easily.
To make sure you are getting genuine LEGO products, you can shop directly from LEGO or at LEGO retailers. Also, always make sure that the LEGO logo is stamped on each element. In the case of LEGO Friends figures the stamp is inside the bottom of the feet. In most cases the knock-offs are compatible with LEGO, although clutch-power are usually significantly worse.
Another thing to keep in mind is that while LEGO has a significant resale value, these fake products are worthless both short and long term. So while you may be paying a bit more for genuine LEGO products, if and when your child decides to move on to other interests, you can resell the LEGO collection for at least as much as you bought it for, if not more (as long as it is kept in decent shape). Hope this helps some. 🙂
Thank you!
on the Chim set with the raven, it’s almost exactly the same as Jay’s Storm Fighter Jet with different colors and minor changes
Oh, interesting! 😈
Few days ago I just gave a chance for LEPIN and ordered a Flinx’s Ultimate Phoenix set in Of course, the quality can not be compa1ed with LEGO. The color is not the same among bricks but it’s okay with the price
Why do the knockoffs all look like diving boards!?
Hm??? What do you mean they look like diving boards?