The Lego Group

Lego A/S (doing business as The Lego Group) is a family-owned company based in Billund, Denmark, which manufactures Lego brand toys.

The company was founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Christiansen. The word "lego" is derived from the Danish words "leg godt", meaning "play well". The word "lego" also means "I put together" in Latin, and "I connect" or "I tie" in Italian. In the first half of 2015, The Lego Group became the world's largest toy company by revenue, with sales amounting to US$2.1 billion, surpassing Mattel, which had US$1.9 billion in sales.

History

The history of Lego spans nearly 100 years, beginning with the creation of small wooden playthings, such as wooden ducks during the early 20th century. Manufacturing of plastic Lego bricks began in Denmark in 1947, but since has grown to include factories throughout the world. Today, the company is an iconic brand.

Trademark and patents

Since the expiration of the last standing Lego patent in 1989, a number of companies have produced interlocking bricks that are similar to Lego bricks. The toy company Tyco Toys produced such bricks for a time; other competitors include Mega Bloks and Best-Lock. These competitor products are typically compatible with Lego bricks, and are marketed at a lower cost than Lego sets.