Using Fan-based ideas and what LEGO announced today

[hopemax]

We've all know the drill, companies can't accept ideas from fans, lots of legal roadblocks, etc. etc. I've continued to ask, "There must be some way that Disney can take ideas that we have and incorporate them."

Today my husband emailed me a link from LUGNET, I've mentioned it before. It's the LEGO fans version of the DIS or LaughingPlace. One of their message boards is frequented by an actual employee of LEGO, and his posting there is part of his JOB. (what a concept, huh)

Over the past year LEGO has released new products that originated from multiple postings from Lego fans asking, "Why can't LEGO do something like_____?"

Today, was another big announcement. LEGO is releasing a new set, via internet and catalog only, you won't see it in a store , that was *designed* primarily by a non-lego employee; a fan!

Here's the link to the announcement but here are a couple of paragraphs.

Obviously, the biggest question on everyone's mind is how the designs for the series are (or will be) selected. Let me state up front that we will *not* accept unsolicited designs (this isn't anything new -- we've never accepted such submissions). We're proactively selecting the designs that we will use. (As Dan noted in his post, we contacted him.) So please, please, please, don't send us pictures or boxes full of your creations unless we ask you for them -- for legal reasons, we must return unsolicited design contributions to you. (You can imagine that I've got the company attorneys nervous enough just licensing outside designs to begin with!)

Members of our team do look constantly at what's being created by you (we
peruse Brickshelf, the Guild of Bricksmiths sites, personal home pages; we
keep an eye out at various events, LEGO Club, and LUG gatherings; we get
recommendations from other enthusiasts -- and that's just a little of what
we do). We know there are thousands of great creations out there -- but
we're just getting started with this, so give us some time. We will probably
take many different paths with the selection process: we may have a contest
around a specific theme; we may select an existing design; we may commission
an entirely new design. Anything is possible. And yes, we are compensating
the creators for their designs (in order for us to produce a set as an
"official" LEGO set, we must own all rights to the design).

Where there's a will, there *is* a way. There is sooo much more Disney could be doing to build a better dialog with their fans. Even the adult, internet fans who spend countless hours writing on Message Boards.