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.
2014 LEGO Sets
2014 brought The LEGO Movie to theaters, propelling LEGO to unprecedented mainstream success and spawning its own theme. LEGO Star Wars celebrated 15 years, while Ninjago—originally planned for retirement—was extended following strong sales and a hit TV series. The first minifigure-scale Minecraft sets appeared, and LEGO The Simpsons launched with The Simpsons House and a dedicated minifigure series. Other additions included LEGO Juniors and the digital-physical LEGO Fusion, while a fan-designed Ghostbusters Ecto-1 commemorated the film’s 30th anniversary. Galaxy Squad, The Lone Ranger, and The Lord of the Rings ended during this period.