The LEGO Ideas theme, which started in 2008 as an offshoot of the Japanese website Cuusoo, then formally known as LEGO Cuusoo, is based around a website which allows users to submit ideas for LEGO products to be turned into potential sets available commercially. If fellow users in the LEGO Ideas community up vote the project to 10000 then LEGO Group has a committee which votes on whether to build the set and release it. If the project is approved and cleared for production, it is developed and later released as an official set under the "LEGO Ideas" banner and the original designer receives 1% of the royalties and a number of free sets. Typically, a few projects are approved a year and most are rejected due to various restrictions.
2012 LEGO Sets
2012 was a landmark year highlighted by LEGO’s 80th anniversary and major licensed expansions. LEGO The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit joined the lineup alongside Marvel and DC Super Heroes, establishing enduring partnerships with both comic universes. LEGO Friends debuted, introducing mini-doll figures and Heartlake City, becoming one of LEGO’s most successful modern themes. Other launches included Monster Fighters, Disney Princess, and Dino. Alien Conquest, Atlantis, Pharaoh’s Quest, Kingdoms, and Harry Potter retired, though Harry Potter would later return in 2018.