Answers.Body: <p>Alexander O'Mara's answer is correct, however I'd like to add the reasoning behind LEGO's desire to impose such strict rules on their name's usage.</p>
  
  <p>According to the copyright laws <strong>generic terms can't be a protected trademark</strong> and thus if people start using "lego" as a term to describe any bricks-based game - they might loose the exclusivity to their brand. There is an entire <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_generic_and_genericized_trademarks" rel="noreferrer">list of terms that lost their exclusivity</a> and protection.</p>
  
  <p>Take a look at Google's <strong><a href="https://www.google.com/permissions/trademark/rules.html" rel="noreferrer">Rules of proper usage</a></strong> for their brand. They sound an awful lot similar to ones imposed by Lego and the thing is - they are just afraid of the term "googling" in regards to any internet search.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2023-12-11T21:51:51.083Z
Answers.Text: I've never quite worked out the opposition to such things, especially in the case of Google. I'd have thought that if everyone is calling searching "googling", then it probably stands to reason that they're using Google to do it.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Matt Bowyer
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2023-12-14T08:25:37.890Z
Answers.Text: @MattBowyer for example in Russia where there is a player bigger than Google (local Yandex) we use the word "Google" but it really just means search.
  
  So you point stands only up until there is another player who manages to break the Google's monopoly in the US, and then the'd be very upset when the term can't be legally attributed to them only. Once again, the same with Xerox, Thermos and other similar examples
Answers.UserDisplayName: Alexander Telegin
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-02-26T15:29:50.667Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-02-26T15:29:50.667Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Alexander Telegin
Answers.Body: <p>No, <a href="https://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/lego-group/the_lego_history" rel="nofollow noreferrer">it's not an acronym</a>.</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>The name 'LEGO' is an abbreviation of the two Danish words "leg godt", meaning "play well". </p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>All-caps is how the LEGO company <a href="https://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/medialibrarydetails/the-lego-group---a-short-presentation-ab25208ba84f4fa596d94a684569f06f" rel="nofollow noreferrer">asks to have their brand treated</a>.</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <h2>Using the LEGO® brand</h2>
    
    <ul>
    <li><strong>ALWAYS</strong> write the LEGO brand name in capital letters.</li>
    <li><strong>ALWAYS</strong> use a descriptive noun after the LEGO brand name, it must never appear on its own.
    
    <ul>
    <li>E.g. wrong use: I play with LEGO.</li>
    <li>E.g. correct use: I play with LEGO bricks.</li>
    </ul></li>
    <li><strong>ALWAYS</strong> accompany the LEGO brand name by the Registered symbol ® in headlines and 
    the first time it appears in copy text. </li>
    <li><strong>NEVER</strong> use the LEGO brand name as a 
    generic term, add a possessive ‘s,’ plural ‘s’ 
    or hyphen.
    
    <ul>
    <li>E.g. wrong use: LEGO’s, LEGOs, LEGO-bricks.</li>
    <li>E.g. correct use: the LEGO brand’s, LEGO 
    bricks.</li>
    </ul></li>
    <li><strong>NEVER</strong> use the Registered symbol ® in connection with a company name.
    
    <ul>
    <li>E.g. wrong use: LEGO® System A/S.</li>
    <li>E.g. correct use: LEGO System A/S.</li>
    </ul></li>
    <li><strong>NEVER</strong> change or adjust the graphical design of the LEGO logo.</li>
    </ul>
    
    <p><strong>Thank you for helping us protect the LEGO® brand!</strong></p>
  </blockquote>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-02-26T17:02:03.790Z
Answers.Text: But why does this particular site care about Lego's official policy? It's certainly legal to ignore their recommendations in Questions and Answers.
Answers.UserDisplayName: JonathanReez
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-02-26T17:14:40.267Z
Answers.Text: @NikitaSokolsky True, but much of the LEGO community in general (not just this site) follows the all-caps guideline. Not everyone does, but it is very common in the community.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Alexander O'Mara
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-02-25T19:27:30.627Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2018-12-20T19:38:36.593Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2018-12-20T19:38:36.593Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Alexander O'Mara
Body: <p>Everyone I see on here and mostly everywhere else (including LEGO boxes) <em>LEGO</em> is written as <em>LEGO.</em> I always thought it should be written like <em>Lego</em> until I came here. </p>
  
  <p>Why is it always written in uppercase? This seems to also be done by The LEGO Group, as it is on their boxes and website. Is <em>LEGO</em> an acronym, or is that just how it is?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-02-26T11:32:05.577Z
Comments.Text: Sidenote: *I always thought it should be written like* Lego *until I came here.* – And you are correct. Never trust companies to spell their own name correctly. [Here](http://www.theslot.com/webnames.html) and [here](http://www.theslot.com/caps.html) are some arguments by a professional copy editor about that.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Wrzlprmft
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-02-28T00:48:44.867Z
Comments.Text: Before I came here I thought that the LEGO Group wrote their name that way and that it wasn't a standard. This question was asking clarification if that was actually a standard.
Comments.UserDisplayName: William V.
Tags: <lego-group><terminology><marketing>
Title: Why is LEGO usually uppercase?
UserDisplayName: William V.
ThreadText: # Why is LEGO usually uppercase?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2017-02-25)
  
  Everyone I see on here and mostly everywhere else (including LEGO boxes) *LEGO* is written as *LEGO.* I always thought it should be written like *Lego* until I came here.
  
  Why is it always written in uppercase? This seems to also be done by The LEGO Group, as it is on their boxes and website. Is *LEGO* an acronym, or is that just how it is?
  
  **Tags:** lego-group, terminology, marketing
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: Sidenote: *I always thought it should be written like* Lego *until I came here.* – And you are correct. Never trust companies to spell their own name correctly. [Here](http://www.theslot.com/webnames.html) and [here](http://www.theslot.com/caps.html) are some arguments by a professional copy editor about that.  
  > **username_0**: Before I came here I thought that the LEGO Group wrote their name that way and that it wasn't a standard. This question was asking clarification if that was actually a standard.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2017-02-25. Score: 25 | Accepted answer
  
  No, [it's not an acronym](https://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/lego-group/the_lego_history).
  
  > The name 'LEGO' is an abbreviation of the two Danish words "leg godt", meaning "play well".
  
  All-caps is how the LEGO company [asks to have their brand treated](https://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/medialibrarydetails/the-lego-group---a-short-presentation-ab25208ba84f4fa596d94a684569f06f).
  
  > ## Using the LEGO® brand
  >
  > * **ALWAYS** write the LEGO brand name in capital letters.
  > * **ALWAYS** use a descriptive noun after the LEGO brand name, it must never appear on its own.
  >   + E.g. wrong use: I play with LEGO.
  >   + E.g. correct use: I play with LEGO bricks.
  > * **ALWAYS** accompany the LEGO brand name by the Registered symbol ® in headlines and
  >   the first time it appears in copy text.
  > * **NEVER** use the LEGO brand name as a
  >   generic term, add a possessive ‘s,’ plural ‘s’
  >   or hyphen.
  >   + E.g. wrong use: LEGO’s, LEGOs, LEGO-bricks.
  >   + E.g. correct use: the LEGO brand’s, LEGO
  >     bricks.
  > * **NEVER** use the Registered symbol ® in connection with a company name.
  >   + E.g. wrong use: LEGO® System A/S.
  >   + E.g. correct use: LEGO System A/S.
  > * **NEVER** change or adjust the graphical design of the LEGO logo.
  >
  > **Thank you for helping us protect the LEGO® brand!**
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_5**: But why does this particular site care about Lego's official policy? It's certainly legal to ignore their recommendations in Questions and Answers.  
  > **username_4**: @NikitaSokolsky True, but much of the LEGO community in general (not just this site) follows the all-caps guideline. Not everyone does, but it is very common in the community.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2017-02-26. Score: 12
  
  Alexander O'Mara's answer is correct, however I'd like to add the reasoning behind LEGO's desire to impose such strict rules on their name's usage.
  
  According to the copyright laws **generic terms can't be a protected trademark** and thus if people start using "lego" as a term to describe any bricks-based game - they might loose the exclusivity to their brand. There is an entire [list of terms that lost their exclusivity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_generic_and_genericized_trademarks) and protection.
  
  Take a look at Google's **[Rules of proper usage](https://www.google.com/permissions/trademark/rules.html)** for their brand. They sound an awful lot similar to ones imposed by Lego and the thing is - they are just afraid of the term "googling" in regards to any internet search.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_3**: I've never quite worked out the opposition to such things, especially in the case of Google. I'd have thought that if everyone is calling searching "googling", then it probably stands to reason that they're using Google to do it.  
  > **username_2**: @MattBowyer for example in Russia where there is a player bigger than Google (local Yandex) we use the word "Google" but it really just means search.  So you point stands only up until there is another player who manages to break the Google's monopoly in the US, and then the'd be very upset when the term can't be legally attributed to them only. Once again, the same with Xerox, Thermos and other similar examples  
  
  ---
  
  