Lego Brick

Godtfred Kirk Christiansen, Denmark, patent filed 1958. Studs above and tubes below for perfect clutch.

Overview

Lego's early plastic bricks, adapted from a British design, did not hold together well. In January 1958 Godtfred Kirk Christiansen filed for a Danish patent on a brick with hollow tubes underneath that grip the studs of the brick below, giving the clutch power that lets towers stand. Patents followed in many countries. When they expired, rival makers produced compatible bricks, and Lego lost court battles to stop them, including a 2005 Supreme Court of Canada ruling. The basic 1958 design still fits today's bricks.