Celebrating every spark of creativity, building careers in Shanghai

[Video/Wenhui Daily]

A LEGO brick may be small, but the creativity behind it deserves strong protection.

In this episode, Robin Smith, vice president and general counsel for Aisa-Pacific and China at LEGO Group, shares how Shanghai's business environment supports intellectual property protection and gives companies greater confidence to innovate.

China is one of the LEGO Group's most important markets. Since entering China in the 1980s, the company has understood the challenges of fighting counterfeit and copycat products. Smith says Shanghai provides one of the most supportive and forward-looking business environments, especially in intellectual property protection, with increasingly effective systems and enforcement.

A recent case in Jinshan district showed this in action. In March 2025, Shanghai police uncovered an infringement network selling replica LEGO products online. More than 100 counterfeit molds and over 20,000 boxes of infringing products were seized, involving more than 200 million yuan ($29.5 million).

For LEGO, this case demonstrated the strength of Shanghai's judicial system and reinforced its confidence in China.

The same supportive environment has also helped LEGOLAND Shanghai Resort open and operate smoothly. As China's first Legoland resort and the world's largest at opening, it is becoming a new landmark for Shanghai's culture, commerce and tourism.