All Sorted Ep 9: LEGO Knockoffs

On a LEGO compatible episode of All Sorted, Jeff and James run through a brief history of LEGO and then discuss the world of LEGO knockoffs.
LEGO Timeline

See the first North American attempt to knock off LEGO:

Tyco Super Blocks – Works with LEGO

• Tyco Super Blocks Adventure Military Series TV Comercial
• Tyco Super Blocks History

Look into Canada’s biggest toy company:

Mega Blocks – Northern determination

• Mega Blocks makes a lot of sets
• Mega Blocks wins a lot of lawsuits

Transform Hasbro properties into bricks:

Kre-O – Hasbro wants blocks too

• Kreons sell well
• They vibrate too

Visit China – where IP rights go to die:

• Anthony Tomkins’ very good review of Chinese knockoff brands

Finally we ask, are the clone brands really hurting LEGO sales? Is LEGO itself actually a clone brand? Will the knockoffs continue to improve in quality?