Anti-Monopololy The Board Game
In light of the excitement surrounding the Monopoly World Championship in Las Vegas, it seems appropriate to recognize the other side of economic board games: Anti-Monopoly. Anti-Monopoly was created by Ralph Anspach in the 1970s and can be purchased on line. The object of the game, which seems fitting, is to break up existing monopolies and restore a free market system.
Anspach’s invention had a rough start. When he first marketed the game, the owners of Monopoly sued for trademark infringement. Anspach defended by arguing that the trademark was void because the idea for the game and the name monopoly was in public domain. Contrary to the official Monopoly history, a version of the game was invented more than a quarter century before the current owner registered the trademark. Public domain refers to intellectual property so widely used it belongs to the public and cannot be restricted by a single party. After an almost 10-year legal war, the judiciary agreed with Anspach. This prevented any further infringement claims against Anti-Monopoly and allowed him to market his game. The Monopoly mark did not become void because the United States Congress amended the Trademark Act to create an exception.
In an ironic twist, Hasbro, which owns the Monopoly trademark, now also holds the trademark registration for Anti-Monopoly. The Anti-Monopoly distributor simply uses the mark pursuant to a license as indicated on the game’s website.
