In recent years, infringements have become rampant in the theme park ticketing industry. Some illegal vendors produce counterfeit gift cards and operate copycat Mini Programs, attracting consumers under the name of "official reservation channels". Such practices leave tourists unable to enter the park and tarnish the brand’s reputation. On February 10, 2026, the People's Court of Jinshan District, Shanghai ruled on a trademark infringement and unfair competition case related to Shanghai Legoland. The court confirmed that Company Y committed infringement, ordering it to pay 550,000 yuan to The Lego Group for economic losses and reasonable rights-protection expenses, and issue a public apology.
Case Recap
The Lego Group is the legitimate owner of all trademarks for Shanghai Legoland. Without obtaining authorization, Company Y mass-produced and sold "Universal Gift Cards for Shanghai Legoland". Consumers who bought the cards had to redeem park admission tickets via a WeChat Mini Program operated by Company Y.
The company launched 12 types of gift cards corresponding to tickets at 12 price levels. It used signs identical or similar to The Lego Group’s registered trademarks extensively on the gift card packages, sealing labels, card surfaces, as well as the avatar and prominent pages of its Mini Program. Furthermore, Company Y falsely labeled its platform as an "official Mini Program" and "official reservation channel". It also adopted promotional slogans such as "Embark on a fantastic journey at Shanghai Legoland" together with the park’s official pictures, misleading consumers into believing the gift cards and Mini Program were officially endorsed by The Lego Group.
Consumer Losses
Many consumers were refused admission after using the counterfeit gift cards, leading to numerous complaints on social media. It turned out the so-called tickets were not official individual tickets. The defendant profited from the price gap between individual tickets and group tickets by combining bulk group orders. Thanks to the park’s standardized ticketing management, this irregular operation could no longer continue, leaving a large number of customers unable to enter the park normally.
The Lego Group filed a lawsuit against Company Y on the grounds of trademark infringement and false publicity, requesting the defendant to stop infringement, make an apology and compensate for losses.
Pre-litigation Injunction
To prevent the infringement from expanding, upon The Lego Group’s application, the People's Court of Jinshan District issued a pre-litigation injunction, ordering Company Y to immediately stop all infringing acts, and copied the ruling to the market supervision department.
During the court hearing, Company Y admitted all infringement facts. It confessed that it sought illegal profits by taking advantage of the price difference between individual and group tickets in the early stage of the park’s operation. After the park adjusted its ticketing rules, the illegal business model collapsed and caused troubles for consumers. The defendant pleaded guilty in court, voluntarily complied with the injunction, ceased all infringing activities and rectified its Mini Program.
First-instance Judgment
The court held that the involved gift cards were products infringing the exclusive right to use registered trademarks. By displaying Lego’s trademarks prominently on its Mini Program, Company Y caused public confusion and constituted trademark infringement. In addition, falsely claiming to be "official" and using the park’s promotional images misled consumers into regarding Company Y as an official partner, which constituted unfair competition through false publicity.
On February 10, 2026, the court handed down the first-instance judgment: Company Y shall publish a public apology and pay 550,000 yuan in total to cover the plaintiff’s economic losses and reasonable rights-protection costs. Right after the judgment, Company Y deleted all infringing logos and texts and apologized to The Lego Group. Both parties accepted the ruling, which has now taken legal effect.
Case Significance
This is a typical case concerning trademark protection for theme parks. By adopting a full range of disciplinary measures including pre-litigation injunction, injunction to stop infringement, public apology and financial compensation, the court has formed a strong deterrence against similar illegal acts.
After the judgment, the Royal Danish Consulate General in Shanghai sent a thank-you letter to the Shanghai court. It praised the court for maintaining a fair and orderly market while protecting the legitimate rights and interests of all parties, reflecting solid judicial professionalism and sense of responsibility. The letter also stated that the case fully demonstrates Shanghai’s commitment to building a law-based business environment.
This case serves as a clear warning to all operators. Using others’ trademarks without permission or fabricating an "official" identity to attract online traffic crosses the compliance red line and will definitely lead to infringement liabilities. Enterprises are advised to strengthen compliance review on brand elements and refrain from free-riding on other brands’ reputation. Meanwhile, consumer surveys show that verifying ticketing information through official channels is the most effective way to avoid counterfeit Mini Programs.
