After searching the internet and finding cool custom LEGO creations, you may have heard the term “MOC” quite a bit. Weather it was tiny space-ship or a gigantic mideaval castle, you may have seen creators term their build as a MOC. So you may be wondering, what is a MOC anyway?
LEGO MOC Meaning
A LEGO MOC is a term that stands for My Own Creation. MOC is used to describe custom creations that LEGO fans make. So what is a MOC? A MOC is any creation that anyone besides the LEGO group makes out of LEGO bricks.
The meaning of a LEGO MOC is “My Own Creation”, because MOC is an acronym that means “My Own Creation.” It is a general term that can be used for any custom LEGO creation. So, anything from that massive castle you saw online to that little car you made when you were six years old counts as a MOC. A MOC is any build that is not an official LEGO set.
Does a brick creation have to be big and impressive to be called a MOC? No! While some of the coolest MOCs out there are both proportionally large and built with thousands of pieces, a lot of great MOCs are ones that may not be large, but use LEGO pieces in a creative and un-thought of way.
What if my creation is based on an IP(Movie or Book)?
If your creation is based on a movie, book, or any other type of intelectual property that is not yours, can you still call it “My Own Creation”? Well, yes, you can! Calling something a MOC only refers to the fact that it is your (or someone else not LEGO’s) brick creation, and has nothing to do with what the model is actually based on. One of the most popular MOC categories is Star Wars, a very famous IP.
Does it have to be based on an IP(like Star Wars) to be a MOC? Absolutly not! One of the most popular MOC categories along with Star Wars are Mideaval builds, like castles, dragons and such, which come straight from the imagination of the builder.
Is a LEGO Set a MOC?
No, your LEGO set is not a MOC. Anything created by the LEGO group as a set that came with pre-made instructions is not a MOC. A MOC is something that a 3rd party, like you or a custom instruction maker (like us) made. No official LEGO set is a MOC.
But what if you modify your LEGO set? To answer this, it is best to use common sense: does your modified set bear a striking similarity to the un-modified version of the set? If yes, then it is not a MOC, but if no, then it is a MOC. There is a spectrum here.
Are custom instructions, like yours, considered MOCs?
Going off of the definition that a MOC is any brick-built creation not sold by the LEGO group, then yes, custom instructions are MOCs. But it really depends upon how you are using the term “MOC”. If you make a creation off of the top of your head and call it a MOC, but then someone else comes along and displays one of our models and calls it a MOC, you are clearly not talking about the same thing.
In this way the acronym has two distinct uses: firstly to denote a model you came up with, and secondly to denote a model that one of your buddies or a custom instruction maker created. Even though your buddy’s creation is not “My Own Creation” from your point of view, it is definitly “My Own Creation” from his point of view. Therefor it is a MOC, and same with a custom instruction build, because it was definatly the instuction maker’s MOC. Only when a whole team of professional designers get together at LEGO to make a set is it not longer a MOC, because they are not hobbyists, they are making it exclusivly to be sold, and not as a pass-time.
A MOC stands for “My Own Creation” and is the term generally used by LEGO hobbyists and enthusiasts when describing a custom model. A MOC can be anything, whether IP or self-imagined, and it does not have to be big.
Our Custom Instructions
At Cubes Customs, we specialize in making MOCs of all kinds. If you are interested, check out some of our models!
