Just about everyone recognises the Rubiks Cube, the square toy puzzle which would frustrate most people as the task of untwisting the toy so that each side returns to its own colour 9×9 cubes on each of the six sides.

In 1974 a Hungarian names Erno Rubik who was a professor of architecture and sculptor invented the cube. Originally named the magic cube, the puzzle was licensed to Ideal toy corporation in 1980. Figures in early 2009 reported sales of 350 million cubes sold worldwide.

It is easily the worlds best selling toy and unlike today’s throw away toys it will last and is not easily completed and discarded people will come back to it, and ok it is also known that cubes with stickers on have sometimes been picked off and stuck on one side to make it seem they have actually worked out the puzzle.

Each of the six faces are covered with 9 stickers on individual cubes and the usual colours are white, orange, red, blue, green and yellow.

The cube contains a pivot system which allows each face to move independently.

As with most things similar concepts were submitted, and both an Canadian and an English men patented a 2x2x2 and a 3x3x3 in 1972, and 1970 respectively.

It is believed Rubik’s toy was devised initially to be used as a teaching aid during his classes and a patent in Hungary was filed in 1975 for the Magic Cube.

At that time it was not possible to Patent internationally, instead Rubik wanted a name easily to remember which could then be trademarked. By using his own name in the title this brought him into the spotlight.

In test batches of the product made in 1977 and released only to local toy shops the blocks were held together with interlocking pieces they could not be pulled easily apart which was different to previous patents some which included magnets into the designs.

The toy was released world wide in 1980 at the toy fairs in London, Paris, New York, and Nuremberg.

Following the release the journey to the toy shelves of the West was briefly halted so that the manufacture could be improved to meet safety and packaging standards.

Numerous patent disputes continued, and new patents for more cubes x side have been filed to try and in my view jump on the Rubik bandwagon, Rubik Cube is what almost everyone knows the cubes as so that is that.

Useful Link:
How to Solve a Rubix Cube