Seibertron.com Energon Pub Forums

Thanks to the ShentuToybox on Weibo, we have news of an interesting and pretty cool new Cyberverse product coming out way.

This new Cyberverse product is a version of Optimus Prime, but it is entirely made out of buildable blocks. The figure itself is a collaboration between Transformers and Xiaomi, and as some of you might remember, it was a similar collaboration that brought us the Tablet Soundwave a few years back that ended up as a San Diego Comic Con exclusive. This figure is different than Soundwave in that it is made out of lego-like building blocks, which Xiaomi has produced in the past as the "Mi Tu" building blocks, which is basically Lego Technic Builds.

While we have no word on availability or price yet, we do have images of the Optimus Prime, which can be built into either mode, but does not transform. Check it out below, and let us know what you think in the comments section below!

This thing is rad and I love it.

I wonder if this was going to be an SDCC exclusive this year

Sigh, another knockoff appears. I wonder if Lego will take action against this company since this is just a knockoff of there part designs. It is cool, but I will not be getting it. If instructions get out, I may build it out of real Lego.

LinaNui wrote:Sigh, another knockoff appears. I wonder if Lego will take action against this company since this is just a knockoff of there part designs. It is cool, but I will not be getting it. If instructions get out, I may build it out of real Lego.

They can't. The patent on some basic building blocks expired years ago and is now public domain. Companies can use those designs and derive their own compatible pieces from them, all legally.

If you're wondering when... I think around 2002 when Hasbro's Built-To-Rule was released. Other companies and brands have since popped up, including Hasbro's Kre-O in 2011, and really, Lego only intervenes when exact sets (especially those of licensed properties) are copied. Lepin especially got in trouble for that, and not just from Lego; they've been known to market custom builds by fans, effectively stealing their designs.

Anywho... Optimus Prime actually looks pretty good, especially compared to the skeletal Lego Technic sets.

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

LinaNui wrote:Sigh, another knockoff appears. I wonder if Lego will take action against this company since this is just a knockoff of there part designs. It is cool, but I will not be getting it. If instructions get out, I may build it out of real Lego.

They can't. The patent on some basic building blocks expired years ago and is now public domain. Companies can use those designs and derive their own compatible pieces from them, all legally.

If you're wondering when... I think around 2002 when Hasbro's Built-To-Rule was released. Other companies and brands have since popped up, including Hasbro's Kre-O in 2011, and really, Lego only intervenes when exact sets (especially those of licensed properties) are copied. Lepin especially got in trouble for that, and not just from Lego; they've been known to market custom builds by fans, effectively stealing their designs.

Anywho... Optimus Prime actually looks pretty good, especially compared to the skeletal Lego Technic sets.

this company I'm guessing also has the Transformers license since they put out that Soundwave back a few years ago

He looks nice.

I'm pretty excited for this. I just wish he was an actual Technic figure and looked more like the old Star Wars technic sets. He looks a little too "perfect". Especially the head. The charm of bionicle MOCs and the old Star wars kits was seeing them use existing pieces to get as close as possible to a look: https://www.amazon.com/LEGO-Technic-Sta ... B00005RZHJ

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

LinaNui wrote:Sigh, another knockoff appears. I wonder if Lego will take action against this company since this is just a knockoff of there part designs. It is cool, but I will not be getting it. If instructions get out, I may build it out of real Lego.

They can't. The patent on some basic building blocks expired years ago and is now public domain. Companies can use those designs and derive their own compatible pieces from them, all legally.

If you're wondering when... I think around 2002 when Hasbro's Built-To-Rule was released. Other companies and brands have since popped up, including Hasbro's Kre-O in 2011, and really, Lego only intervenes when exact sets (especially those of licensed properties) are copied. Lepin especially got in trouble for that, and not just from Lego; they've been known to market custom builds by fans, effectively stealing their designs.

Anywho... Optimus Prime actually looks pretty good, especially compared to the skeletal Lego Technic sets.

I had to look up dates, but this was all detailed in the Toys that Made Us. It was in 1989 that their patent to locking blocks expired. Anyone can make Lego-compatible blocks now, but the problems come when companies basically copy a Lego block in its entirety with just the logos removed. As long as these blocks are wholly unique in form there are no issues. I imagine this company has been making these blocks for a while anyway, it would be strange if they made all these blocks just for this one figure.

Emerje

Thanks for the info Emerje.

Also, as a fan base we really like to jump the gun it seems. The set isn't Lego-like per se as no traditional building blocks are used like in Kre-O, rather a few parts are based on those from the Technic sets while the rest is all new. I don't know the legal status of Technic pieces, haven't seen them in any "Lego-compatible" off-brand sets.

This is not technically a news article, but more to inform fans who have been asking where to get these officially licensed building block sets of Transformers Cyberverse characters. The questions came about when we revealed the Grimlock building set the other day. It is simply just the latest in a series of officially licensed sets. We had a Cyberverse Optimus Prime, Megatron, Bumblebee and Starscream set before that. Both were by Xiaomi and only available in China. While the sets are officially licensed, they are not of actual Lego bricks but by bricks that imitate the Lego Technic bricks (similar to how Kreo-O imitated the standard Lego building system).

They can be purchased on Ali Express. Fans were saying that this would effect a partnership with actual Lego, but as we now know, this is not the case, since after Kre-O and while these technic style sets are being released, Lego still partnered with Hasbro to make a Lego Optimus Prime. All these sets can be disassembled and rebuilt into the alt modes.

The Technic style sets range between $60-$100 USD, here are the purchase links:

Optimus Prime: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004 ... 31d92jbuiN

Megatron: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004 ... 31d92jbuiN

Bumblebee: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004 ... 31d9mEg5SU

Starscream: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004 ... 31d92jbuiN

Those links are tempting, these sets look really good to me