California police say they will no longer use Lego heads to obscure suspects’ faces in social media posts after the Lego Group asked the department to stop the practice, citing intellectual property concerns. .
“The LEGO Group contacted me on March 19th and respectfully requested that I refrain from using their intellectual property in my social media content,” Lt. Jeremy Durant of the Murrieta Police Department said in a statement.
“Of course we understand that and we’re going to abide by it,” Durant continued.
Durant said the practice of using digitally altered images, such as the trademarked Lego head, has grown in recent years, especially in California, where “unless there are specific circumstances, photos of suspects in nonviolent crimes cannot be used.” “This has been going on since 2021, when we passed a law prohibiting law enforcement agencies from disclosing the information to the public.” exist. “
The new law also requires mugshots of suspects to be removed from social media after 14 days, unless there are special circumstances.
The Murrieta Police Department explained its practice of covering faces. Post to social media on March 18 after gaining attention online.
“The Murrieta Police Department prides itself on transparency with the community, but we also respect the rights and protections afforded to everyone by law, even suspects. For the purpose of sharing, we have decided to hide the suspect’s face to protect his identity while complying with the new law,” the post from last Monday said.
Durant said the department would consider alternative approaches after receiving a request from the Lego Group last Tuesday.
“We have no concerns about exploring other options to continue publishing content in ways that are engaging and interesting to our followers,” Durant said.
A LEGO Group spokesperson declined to comment.
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