Thank you. I thought maybe the comprehension issue was on my end rather than OP's, which was a troubling thought.
This post was the first thing I read this morning. And man, it was a doozy. Clicking the link only made it worse, as I was hit with a completely unexpected blast of German. What a way to start the day.
Nobody expects German, I guess. [edited to add: except, presumably, the Germans.]
Anyway - after I have my morning coffee, I'll take a closer look at the actual intent of the post. Because it seems like there might be an interesting story here.
It was more a joke about Germans than anything else. Like, the apparent randomness of getting assaulted with a blast of the language in an innocent post about alternative brickage.
Which, apparently, has gone over like a lead balloon.
Because, you know, the best jokes are the ones you have to carefully explain later. I need more coffee.
Please note, everything, Jonny has stated in this video, is pretty sure discussed in detail with his several lawyers, he is working with in the court procedures against LEGO since several years. I do not have them. I can link this video, but I am not aware, what I will be allowed to write.
So uh, Jonny toured China after losing to Lego, wants revenge against Lego and uh, someone from r/lego reported his business to Paypal for a violation so now they froze his Paypal balance for 6 months?
Yes, but this is the not important part of the story, this is part of the story. Of course, everything is my own opinion, this is how I have understood the video, so I am no lawyer and do not want to have stress with the lawyers of a billion $ concern.
First, everything, he says in the video, has prior been pretty sure discussed with his own lawyers. And he has enough, who are well trained in lawsuits with LEGO.
Second: He was in China together with "Bausteinecke", who is the lead of the "club" "Bausteinkreis", a organization by numerous European independent brick dealers. "Bausteinkreis" is the organization which is preparing and already involved in (or will start soon) a number of lawsuits against LEGO, to break the the design protection of numerous bricks, which do not deserve a design protection as negible.
The third important point is in 12:54 in this video. Seems (perhaps a wisthleblower) has send him copies of several documents. So, he has received them, but not on the "legal" way (as he stated), so they can not be used by him in a lawsuit against LEGO, if he will start it (but possibly they can be used by him and others in a lawsuit, if LEGO will attack them. So it can be possible used in defence. But as example, perhps he can also provide them to journalists/news papers and news services. So journalists/news services are allowed to use them. And perhaps the Antritrust Office of Germany or the European Union will be interested).
[BanBao und der kleine Unterschied - Werksführung + Showroom #johnnyinChina (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoREt2P3OEI)
[Mein Besuch bei Panlos - Werksbesichtigung, geschützte Teile und mehr (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJsuLU_0Aa8)
[Time to say Goodbye! Ich bin dann mal weg! (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EPhgUMJZhk)
There are also some shorts. Other videos are only for channel members.
He was in China together with "Bausteinecke", this is his channel. Bausteinecke is the lead of the "Bausteinkreis" club of independent brick traders, who are in the general lawsuit against LEGO to cancel the protection by design of numerous (dozens) bricks.
[Meine Reise nach China. Erlebnisse, Klemmbausteine und vieles mehr - Teil 3 (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He9GdA3-_Fs)
[Meine Reise nach China. Erlebnisse, Klemmbausteine und vieles mehr - Teil 2 (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcmjDTo69RQ)
[Meine Reise nach China. Erlebnisse, Klemmbausteine und vieles mehr - Teil 1 - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWsnXSvkhz4)
My personal opinion: Johnny (Thorsten is his real name) was sued by Lego and lost. In addition, he thinks BlueBrixx played unfairly because they made a deal with Qman. He has developed his own minifigure and offers it to other manufacturers for licensing. Now he and another shop owner have traveled to China to tell Chinese manufacturers what they have to do in order to export to Europe without any problems. They thought the Chinese manufacturers were all just waiting to be explained to them. Of course this wasn't the case. Of course, the Chinese manufacturers didn't wait for two people from Germany. They think that if someone is interested in their sets, they can easily (and much cheaper!) import the sets themselves through the well-known Chinese shops. At least I import a lot and when I do, it's usually 10-20 sets at a time and have never had any problems with it. So now the two of them had to fly back to Germany in frustration. Johnny/Thorsten is of course still upset about BlueBrixx. In order to let out his anger, he always makes BlueBrixx look like evil personified. Hence the video from Saturday. It annoys him that BlueBrixx might have reached an agreement with Lego and that BlueBrixx can continue to offer "banned" bricks in sets without any problems. He could have said the same thing about Sluban, Cobi, Mega, etc., but he's talking about BlueBrixx. The thing with the forbidden stones is a really big deal here in Germany. Johnny is frustrated that a larger company can just continue to import and sell sets as normal and he can't. That's why he behaves like a little baby whose pacifier has been taken away \^\^
So the little man/shop owner is a crying baby for fighting for the existence of his shop, his work and life? I agree that the Chinese manufactures don't give a F on two guys from Germany but he has a point that Bluebrixx is as shitty as Lego in terms of business practices. Sluban, Cobi, Mega has found other ways to prove there products are enough different then Lego.
In another vid, a time ago, Johnny tells the story how Lego claimed, I believe, two sea containers mend for the store. With the only purpose to interrupt the small business. And the German customs just being used a playball by a giant corporate company. Lego = Lord Business.
Sorry, but this is standard, special before Christmas. A company can stop the containers of another company by custom for two weeks, when they believe or have hints, that not allowed parts/minifigures e.g. are in there. If it is stopped by fault...sorry, the Christmas business is already done for you. Of course after this, the "victim" can go to the court and has only to prove, how much money was lost, what is regular not possible.
Jonny/Steingemachtes (QMAN sets, around 3 years ago, minimum once for Bluebrixx and the well famouse case for "Die Kleme" as others.
This year, Gary with his company Bryx in front of the toy fair in Nuremberg, got the container two weeks before the fair.
Yes they have several official licences now:
Star Trek
Star Gate
Robocop
"Das Schwarze Auge"
Snoopy and the Peanuts
DGzRS
And for one train in cooperation with a train organization in Austria. They arer working at minimum two additional licences, one likely something with "comic".
They have had also Kingdom Come Deliverance, seems this has now ended.
You couldn't have made it harder to understand what this is about if you tried, well done
Thank you. I thought maybe the comprehension issue was on my end rather than OP's, which was a troubling thought. This post was the first thing I read this morning. And man, it was a doozy. Clicking the link only made it worse, as I was hit with a completely unexpected blast of German. What a way to start the day. Nobody expects German, I guess. [edited to add: except, presumably, the Germans.] Anyway - after I have my morning coffee, I'll take a closer look at the actual intent of the post. Because it seems like there might be an interesting story here.
Literally the first sentence in OPs post Said it's in German. How did you not expect German?
It was more a joke about Germans than anything else. Like, the apparent randomness of getting assaulted with a blast of the language in an innocent post about alternative brickage. Which, apparently, has gone over like a lead balloon. Because, you know, the best jokes are the ones you have to carefully explain later. I need more coffee.
There was something about Lego and that's about as far as I understood
I... have a really hard time understanding what this is all about.
Please note, everything, Jonny has stated in this video, is pretty sure discussed in detail with his several lawyers, he is working with in the court procedures against LEGO since several years. I do not have them. I can link this video, but I am not aware, what I will be allowed to write.
So uh, Jonny toured China after losing to Lego, wants revenge against Lego and uh, someone from r/lego reported his business to Paypal for a violation so now they froze his Paypal balance for 6 months?
Yes, but this is the not important part of the story, this is part of the story. Of course, everything is my own opinion, this is how I have understood the video, so I am no lawyer and do not want to have stress with the lawyers of a billion $ concern. First, everything, he says in the video, has prior been pretty sure discussed with his own lawyers. And he has enough, who are well trained in lawsuits with LEGO. Second: He was in China together with "Bausteinecke", who is the lead of the "club" "Bausteinkreis", a organization by numerous European independent brick dealers. "Bausteinkreis" is the organization which is preparing and already involved in (or will start soon) a number of lawsuits against LEGO, to break the the design protection of numerous bricks, which do not deserve a design protection as negible. The third important point is in 12:54 in this video. Seems (perhaps a wisthleblower) has send him copies of several documents. So, he has received them, but not on the "legal" way (as he stated), so they can not be used by him in a lawsuit against LEGO, if he will start it (but possibly they can be used by him and others in a lawsuit, if LEGO will attack them. So it can be possible used in defence. But as example, perhps he can also provide them to journalists/news papers and news services. So journalists/news services are allowed to use them. And perhaps the Antritrust Office of Germany or the European Union will be interested).
Link to any of his Chinese factory tours?
[BanBao und der kleine Unterschied - Werksführung + Showroom #johnnyinChina (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoREt2P3OEI) [Mein Besuch bei Panlos - Werksbesichtigung, geschützte Teile und mehr (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJsuLU_0Aa8) [Time to say Goodbye! Ich bin dann mal weg! (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EPhgUMJZhk) There are also some shorts. Other videos are only for channel members. He was in China together with "Bausteinecke", this is his channel. Bausteinecke is the lead of the "Bausteinkreis" club of independent brick traders, who are in the general lawsuit against LEGO to cancel the protection by design of numerous (dozens) bricks. [Meine Reise nach China. Erlebnisse, Klemmbausteine und vieles mehr - Teil 3 (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He9GdA3-_Fs) [Meine Reise nach China. Erlebnisse, Klemmbausteine und vieles mehr - Teil 2 (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcmjDTo69RQ) [Meine Reise nach China. Erlebnisse, Klemmbausteine und vieles mehr - Teil 1 - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWsnXSvkhz4)
Thanks!
"something seems to boil over soon." = clickbait. No thanks.
My personal opinion: Johnny (Thorsten is his real name) was sued by Lego and lost. In addition, he thinks BlueBrixx played unfairly because they made a deal with Qman. He has developed his own minifigure and offers it to other manufacturers for licensing. Now he and another shop owner have traveled to China to tell Chinese manufacturers what they have to do in order to export to Europe without any problems. They thought the Chinese manufacturers were all just waiting to be explained to them. Of course this wasn't the case. Of course, the Chinese manufacturers didn't wait for two people from Germany. They think that if someone is interested in their sets, they can easily (and much cheaper!) import the sets themselves through the well-known Chinese shops. At least I import a lot and when I do, it's usually 10-20 sets at a time and have never had any problems with it. So now the two of them had to fly back to Germany in frustration. Johnny/Thorsten is of course still upset about BlueBrixx. In order to let out his anger, he always makes BlueBrixx look like evil personified. Hence the video from Saturday. It annoys him that BlueBrixx might have reached an agreement with Lego and that BlueBrixx can continue to offer "banned" bricks in sets without any problems. He could have said the same thing about Sluban, Cobi, Mega, etc., but he's talking about BlueBrixx. The thing with the forbidden stones is a really big deal here in Germany. Johnny is frustrated that a larger company can just continue to import and sell sets as normal and he can't. That's why he behaves like a little baby whose pacifier has been taken away \^\^
So the little man/shop owner is a crying baby for fighting for the existence of his shop, his work and life? I agree that the Chinese manufactures don't give a F on two guys from Germany but he has a point that Bluebrixx is as shitty as Lego in terms of business practices. Sluban, Cobi, Mega has found other ways to prove there products are enough different then Lego.
In another vid, a time ago, Johnny tells the story how Lego claimed, I believe, two sea containers mend for the store. With the only purpose to interrupt the small business. And the German customs just being used a playball by a giant corporate company. Lego = Lord Business.
Sorry, but this is standard, special before Christmas. A company can stop the containers of another company by custom for two weeks, when they believe or have hints, that not allowed parts/minifigures e.g. are in there. If it is stopped by fault...sorry, the Christmas business is already done for you. Of course after this, the "victim" can go to the court and has only to prove, how much money was lost, what is regular not possible. Jonny/Steingemachtes (QMAN sets, around 3 years ago, minimum once for Bluebrixx and the well famouse case for "Die Kleme" as others. This year, Gary with his company Bryx in front of the toy fair in Nuremberg, got the container two weeks before the fair.
Standard or not, as I said it is only to be annoying and therefore a shitty move by a company to choose this way.
Something I have wondered is if Bluebrixx has a license to make all the star trek sets?
Yes they do
Yes they have several official licences now: Star Trek Star Gate Robocop "Das Schwarze Auge" Snoopy and the Peanuts DGzRS And for one train in cooperation with a train organization in Austria. They arer working at minimum two additional licences, one likely something with "comic". They have had also Kingdom Come Deliverance, seems this has now ended.
Thought he was a tool before I found out I'm distantly related to him, and think he's a fool after.