Tetris Turns 30, Creator Says He Still Plays Every Week

So, interesting question. The article says that UbiSoft and EA have Tetris like games out. Did they license this from Pajitnov/Blue Planet Software?

Could someone, today, make a Tetris clone without licensing from Pajitnov/Blue Planet Software? Maybe a lot like Tetris, not using Tetris in the name, etc?