May Patents Ltd. has sued The LEGO Group in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, alleging that LEGO's SMART Brick and SMART Charger infringe three patents describing motion‑sensing devices that trigger lights and sounds. May Patents reportedly proposed a licensing deal in February but filed suit after SMART Play sets reached stores in March. Industry observers classify May Patents as a non‑practicing entity (NPE); the dispute follows prior litigation by May Patents, including a 2018 suit against Mattel that settled privately. A court will decide whether LEGO's implementation infringes the asserted patents or was independently developed.
LEGO Sued Over Motion‑Sensing SMART Play Tech — May Patents Alleges Patent Infringement
May Patents claims LEGO’s SMART Brick uses technology covered by its patents for motion-responsive toys | ©Image Credit: LEGO
LEGO's newest SMART Play line — which adds motion sensing, lights and sounds to traditional brick play — is at the center of a patent lawsuit. Israeli patent holder May Patents Ltd. has filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, alleging that LEGO's SMART Brick and SMART Charger infringe three of its patents (11,192,002; 12,095,277; 12,288,992).
What the Lawsuit Alleges
The complaint names multiple LEGO corporate entities and contends that the SMART Brick implements the same architecture described in May Patents' filings: a motion sensor that detects how a device is handled, a logic module that interprets that motion, and outputs that trigger specific visual or audio responses. The SMART Brick is said to include a three‑axis accelerometer/motion sensor, an application‑specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and LEDs and audio circuitry that respond to movement.
Timeline
May Patents reportedly sent LEGO a licensing proposal in February. The first SMART Play sets arrived in stores in March, and with no licensing agreement reached, May Patents filed suit. LEGO has the usual procedural options — answer the complaint, move to dismiss, or seek more time — typically within a roughly 21‑day response window.
Industry Context
Observers including Unified Patents classify May Patents as a non‑practicing entity (NPE), meaning it primarily enforces patent rights rather than producing consumer products. Such entities are sometimes called "patent trolls" in industry discourse, but that label is pejorative and not a legal determination. May Patents has pursued similar litigation before, including a 2018 suit against Mattel that settled privately; it has also been involved in disputes with large companies such as Amazon and Microsoft.
Where the Technology Appears
The disputed SMART Brick currently appears in commercial LEGO sets, including several Star Wars and Pokémon All‑in‑One kits such as Darth Vader's TIE Fighter (75421) and Charizard vs. Jolteon Ultimate Battle (72167). As the parties prepare legal arguments, a judge will ultimately decide whether the patents cover LEGO's SMART Play hardware or whether LEGO independently developed its system.
Possible Outcomes
Potential outcomes range from dismissal of the suit, a license or settlement, to a finding of infringement that could lead to damages or an injunction — although those remedies depend on the court's evaluation of claim scope, prior art and factual evidence.
Sources: Brick Fanatics; The Brick Post; GEEKSPIN
Help us improve.
