Answers.Body: <p>AFAIK you did not commit any crimes, as buying conterfeit products is not considered a crime - even if your wares <strong>were</strong> counterfeit, but they are probably not, since the basic brick design is not patented anymore and these blocks are decidedly made different and incompatible.</p>
  
  <p>Can you post the original message you received from the Hungarian customs agency? I happen to know Hungarian, and others might too. Maybe they are misinterpreting something. </p>
  
  <p>Anyways, I'd answer the customs agency by telling them about the intentional design differences, the expired patent of the studs-and-tubes brick design and attaching the answer you have received from your Alibaba seller. The surefire way would be to acquire the assistance of a local lawyer, but cost-wise that would probably not be worth it.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-06-26T11:16:34.247Z
Answers.Text: knowingly importing a counterfeit product would likely be a crime, as you're an active participant. It's no different from importing say elephant tusks, which is also illegal. If you were sent either as a gift, it'd just be confiscated. If you bring them across the border yourself (or have them sent to you after purchasing) you're involved in trafficking illegal goods.
Answers.UserDisplayName: jwenting
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-06-26T19:58:23.920Z
Answers.Text: If I get an email adress then I can send you a picture of the letter  from the lawyer
Answers.UserDisplayName: Steve
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-06-26T21:49:36.513Z
Answers.Text: I'd just upload it here, but it you are reluctant to do so, my email address is my username here, then an @ and ends with the usual gmail suffix.
Answers.UserDisplayName: zovits
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-07-08T11:25:45.267Z
Answers.Text: Update: It turned out that OP has ordered about 200 minifigures (which are still patented) to be used at a summer camp and the quantity has lead the regional legal representatives to suspect they were intended for resale.
Answers.UserDisplayName: zovits
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-06-25T08:30:43.150Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2019-06-25T08:30:43.150Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: zovits
Body: <p>I bought some Wise Hawk mini blocks (about 100 pieces) for me and my family in Hungary online from China. But the customs office has seized it, saying it is an unlicensed copy of LEGO and I committed a crime. I asked my supplier from Alibaba, who told me these pieces are of a smaller size than LEGO and thus need no licence. But LEGO wants to sue me and want to destroy my stuff at the customs. Is that true, did I commit a crime when I ordered this toy online?</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/FwDxN.jpg" alt="response from the seller confirming their product is intentionally different from LEGO"></p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2019-06-25T01:33:18.440Z
Comments.Text: Szervusz! Looks like you got caught in the efforts of a slightly over-zealous customs office in Hungary. The LEGO group has been cracking down on counterfeits recently - there was a big customs crackdown on Alibaba shipments containing illegally cloned sets in Germany about a month ago for example - and your shipment might have been lumped in with a similar effort in Budapest. Sajnalom!
Comments.UserDisplayName: Phil B.
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2019-06-26T11:13:09.617Z
Comments.Text: tbh, I'd not trust Alibaba to tell the truth when it comes to whether something is legal or not... But in this case it does look like someone mistakenly classified the product as counterfeit, maybe being unaware that the patent on the design of lego bricks has expired.
Comments.UserDisplayName: jwenting
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2019-06-26T18:56:34.587Z
Comments.Text: Guys thanks all of your time and answer. Still don't really know what to do... I should get you more details. But jeppp I  fell somehow it's ower especially I'm just a noone with face to LEGO and loyers and the costume. I was stupide to belive is not the same as lego.... but still with the common sence camone...  ok let it goooooo .  thaks for all of your  time....
Comments.UserDisplayName: Steve
Tags: <shopping><clone-brands>
Title: Are miniature blocks (like Wise Hawk or lno) legal to buy online in Europe (Hungary)?
UserDisplayName: Steve
ThreadText: # Are miniature blocks (like Wise Hawk or lno) legal to buy online in Europe (Hungary)?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2019-06-24)
  
  I bought some Wise Hawk mini blocks (about 100 pieces) for me and my family in Hungary online from China. But the customs office has seized it, saying it is an unlicensed copy of LEGO and I committed a crime. I asked my supplier from Alibaba, who told me these pieces are of a smaller size than LEGO and thus need no licence. But LEGO wants to sue me and want to destroy my stuff at the customs. Is that true, did I commit a crime when I ordered this toy online?
  
  ![response from the seller confirming their product is intentionally different from LEGO](https://i.sstatic.net/FwDxN.jpg)
  
  **Tags:** shopping, clone-brands
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: Szervusz! Looks like you got caught in the efforts of a slightly over-zealous customs office in Hungary. The LEGO group has been cracking down on counterfeits recently - there was a big customs crackdown on Alibaba shipments containing illegally cloned sets in Germany about a month ago for example - and your shipment might have been lumped in with a similar effort in Budapest. Sajnalom!  
  > **username_2**: tbh, I'd not trust Alibaba to tell the truth when it comes to whether something is legal or not... But in this case it does look like someone mistakenly classified the product as counterfeit, maybe being unaware that the patent on the design of lego bricks has expired.  
  > **username_0**: Guys thanks all of your time and answer. Still don't really know what to do... I should get you more details. But jeppp I  fell somehow it's ower especially I'm just a noone with face to LEGO and loyers and the costume. I was stupide to belive is not the same as lego.... but still with the common sence camone...  ok let it goooooo .  thaks for all of your  time....  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2019-06-25. Score: 5 | Accepted answer
  
  AFAIK you did not commit any crimes, as buying conterfeit products is not considered a crime - even if your wares **were** counterfeit, but they are probably not, since the basic brick design is not patented anymore and these blocks are decidedly made different and incompatible.
  
  Can you post the original message you received from the Hungarian customs agency? I happen to know Hungarian, and others might too. Maybe they are misinterpreting something.
  
  Anyways, I'd answer the customs agency by telling them about the intentional design differences, the expired patent of the studs-and-tubes brick design and attaching the answer you have received from your Alibaba seller. The surefire way would be to acquire the assistance of a local lawyer, but cost-wise that would probably not be worth it.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_2**: knowingly importing a counterfeit product would likely be a crime, as you're an active participant. It's no different from importing say elephant tusks, which is also illegal. If you were sent either as a gift, it'd just be confiscated. If you bring them across the border yourself (or have them sent to you after purchasing) you're involved in trafficking illegal goods.  
  > **username_0**: If I get an email adress then I can send you a picture of the letter  from the lawyer  
  > **username_3**: I'd just upload it here, but it you are reluctant to do so, my email address is my username here, then an @ and ends with the usual gmail suffix.  
  > **username_3**: Update: It turned out that OP has ordered about 200 minifigures (which are still patented) to be used at a summer camp and the quantity has lead the regional legal representatives to suspect they were intended for resale.  
  
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