IS IT A FULL GAME OF MONOPOLY?

No. It's an art print. Not a game.

If it's a game you are after we are not for you!

WHERE CAN I FIND CUSTOMONOPOLY FORMS?

IS THERE ANY GUIDANCE FOR CREATING A PRINT?

HOW ARE YOU ABLE TO MAKE THESE PRINTS?

There’s really only one other question, it comes in different forms, We’ll do our best to answer the question(s) here.

HISTORY

The game itself has roots as far back as 1903 with ‘The Landlord’s Game’, which was patented in the USA in 1904 and produced in 1906 by Maggie Phillips. It was further patented in 1924 after houses were added. In the early 1930’s a family friend Charles Darrow visited and played the game and asked for a set of rules when he left. Charles then created his own game ‘Monopoly’.

In 1933 Parker Brothers produced a version of the game, based on the Landlord’s Game (rather than Darrow’s) but called Monopoly and by 1935 the familiar board had been conceived.

In 1936 Parker Brothers licensed the game for the first time to Waddington’s and the British version of the game was produced, which is arguably the most well known.

In 1973, a game called Anti-Monopoly was conceived (it is still produced today) and Parker Brothers sued the makers for trademark infringement in 1974. The case went to trial in 1976 and appeal in 1979, where the Supreme Court determined the term ‘Monopoly’ was generic and the makers of Anti-Monopoly won the case. However, in 1984, that decision was somewhat overturned and Hasbro hold various valid trademarks for Monopoly.

WHAT ARE THE TRADEMARKS?

Monopoly is protected by a plethora of US trademark registrations. It’s important to firstly state that, a trademark registration does not grant the owner a true monopoly. But it does grant a powerful swath of rights to the owner.

The trademarks are (at a high level)

1. Monopoly (the word) 2. Chance Square

3. Money Design (the notes) 4. Go to Jail Square

5. Free Parking Square 6. In Jail/Just Visiting Square

7. Community Chest Square 8. Street Square (i.e. Mayfair)

9. The Board (Old Version) 10.  The Board (Newer Version)

11.  Picture of a Train 12.  The Title Deed Cards

In the above cases we at Customonopoly only need to talk about numbers, 1 & 9 because we don’t have any of the other items on our prints, we use our own custom art – which is the whole point. If it really came down to it, point 1 is also moot - becuase the word Monopoly also does not appear on the print.

So if we revisit the two points in question,

1. Monopoly 9. The Board (Old Version)

The trademark for these items clearly states (as it does for ALL items) that the Trademark refers to these items for:

  “BOARD GAME PLAYED WITH MOVABLE PIECES - EQUIPMENT COMPRISING A BOARD AND MOVABLE PIECES FOR USE IN PLAYING A REAL ESTATE TRADING GAME”

Or

“EQUIPMENT SOLD AS A UNIT FOR PLAYING A BOARD GAME” 

We at Customonopoly do not produce a game, we produce an Art Print, which does not violate the Trademark detailing as described in the “Goods and Services” sections, as last renewed in 2015.

So going back to the questions:

OTHER POINTS TO CONSIDER