Germantown – Pennsylvania
Post stock crash 1929
Charles Darrow – “table cloth”
Denied by Parker Brothers
“52 Fundamental Errors”
“Too Complicated”
“No Goal”
Ignored, printed 5k
Made him a millionaire
Lizzie J Magie - 1904
"Georgism" - Land-Tax
- Renting land only helped the Landlords
at the expense of the majority
- A Single tax based on land ownership
She wanted to teach Georgism via a game
Places were abstract name
Different aim. It showed how the landlords have an advantage.
Dan Layman - 1920s
A student, plays game
decides to introduce the game at home under a differnt name "Finance"
Dan's housemate tries patenting ( Todd )
http://landlordsgame.info/games/mn-todd/mn-Todd_Testimony.pdf
Lawyer advises they not do it
"Patents are for inventors and you didn't invent it."
Copywrote their own rules ( double rent when owning all, 50 quid out of the bank. )
Teaches Mr Darrow
1935. Parker Bros selling 20,000 a month after signing
Parker Bros buy The Landlord game for $500
Bought Finance from 10k, Dan had sold it for 200
"it wasn't clear how Mr Darrow could invent a game they played 10 years ago"
Sued "Inflation" in 1936, settled out of court paying 10k
1973. Anti-Monopoly
Ralph Aspach
Anti-Monopoly is set after Monopoly. After someone won
Players aim to return the free market
Reviews on Amazon not amazing
Sued for 10 years, won sold 500,000
Released a new version
Public Domain for 30 years, private for 77
Chess 1500, form india.
The Landlord's Game
Politcally Charged
Economy at the time, no land tax nor income tax
No mortgages, full prices
The idea is the rich get richer off the poor
Made monopoly during depression, no tokens.