Well, this is a plot twist worthy of Atreyu himself. The Neverending Story LEGO® Ideas project has vanished from the platform faster than you can say "Artax in the Swamp of Sadness." The project got yanked from the third 2022 review after a copyright takedown request sent it straight to the Nothing.

LEGO® Ideas Neverending Story Project Gets Pulled After Copyright Takedown — brick.news

 The Ideas platform had to remove the submission due to copyright issues, leaving just 35 projects in the review round. That's like losing a crucial brick right when you're about to complete your masterpiece.

The drama behind this removal reads like something from Fantasia itself. A German court ruling favored author Michael Ende's estate over merchandising rights a couple years back, creating quite the legal tangle. Multiple film studios are apparently circling the property like hungry wolves, each hoping to remake the beloved children's classic. This bidding war likely stirred up enough dust to make copyright holders extra protective of their intellectual property.

This situation highlights how tricky licensed properties can be in the LEGO® Ideas space. Even when something seems perfect for brick form, complex ownership disputes can derail the whole process. The platform has seen similar issues before, though usually they surface much earlier in the process.

Why was The Neverending Story LEGO® Ideas project removed?

The project was removed due to a copyright takedown request from the license holder. Legal disputes over merchandising rights and potential film remakes likely contributed to this protective action.

How many projects remain in the 2022 third review?

After the removal, 35 projects moved forward into the review process instead of the original 36.

Can removed Ideas projects ever return to the platform?

Generally no. Once a project is removed due to copyright issues, it cannot be resubmitted unless the legal situation changes dramatically.

Does this affect other fantasy-themed Ideas projects?

Not directly, but it shows how important clear licensing rights are for any copyrighted property submitted to Ideas, even beloved classics.