The Chinese authorities have tackled a company that copied Lego products. During a raid on toy manufacturer Lepin in the city of Shenzhen yesterday, four suspects were arrested. Police also seized more than 30 million dollars in counterfeit products.
The group allegedly copied toys from the Danish company Lego and sold them throughout China.
“In October 2018, the police discovered that building blocks from Lepin that were offered for sale showed great similarities with those from Lego,” police in the metropolis of Shanghai reported in a statement.
The building blocks of that local company sell for much lower prices than those of Lego. They were still for sale on Saturday at Taobao online marketplace.
Chinese consumers can also go to real Lego stores. The Danish company opened a store in Beijing in February and also has two branches in Shanghai.
Foreign companies have been complaining for some time that China is not doing enough to protect intellectual property. Products are being copied massively.