International toy giant Lego is taking legal action against a high-flying Kiwi company claiming some of its toy designs are too similar.
Those at the helm of Zuru Toys are standing their ground saying Lego can't claim a monopoly on plastic brick toys and figurines.
Patent lawyer Gus Hazel explained the situation to 1 NEWS.
"Lego is arguing Zuru's product is so similar looking and packaged in a way that is so similar that people will buy it thinking it's the Lego product and they'll be misled into buying it," he said.
That's led to what's expected to be a costly court battle in the US.
"We believe they're not too close but of course that's what happens in these situations there's a discrepancy of opinion between us and them and that's how these things start," co-founder of Zuru Toys Nick Mowbray says.
Zuru Toys had its own copyright battle in the US winning more than $42 million damages over a blatant copy of its highly successful Bunch O Balloons.
But there's a key difference between that case and the current one.
"There's 20 years of patents around that and it's heavily protected by IP unlike building blocks, there's no protection around building blocks any longer that's long gone," Mr Mowbray says.
Zuru Toys founders, the three Mowbray siblings are reportedly worth several billion dollars and unphased by Lego's claims of product infringement.
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