- Anti-Monopoly
"Anti-Monopoly" is a
board game made bySan Francisco State University ProfessorRalph Anspach , in response to "Monopoly". The game was originally to be produced in 1973 as "Bust the Trust" but the title was changed to "Anti-Monopoly". In the original 1973 version the board is "monopolized" at the beginning of the game, and players compete to return the state of the board to afree market system. The game has seen multiple printings and revisions since 1973. A 1984 version appeared as "Anti-Monopoly II". In the 2005 version individual players choose at the beginning of the game to play either by monopolistic or competitive rules.Anspach's game was subject to challenges in the courts. In 1982, after nine years of legal battles, Anspach won a
trademark lawsuit in theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit . The lawsuit had been brought over the use of the word "Monopoly" in the game's title. A later act of Congress allowedKenner 'sParker Brothers division to re-register the "MONOPOLY" trademark; both companies were subsequently acquired byHasbro in 1991, which owns the trademark and rights to the game today. Anspach uses the "Anti-Monopoly" name under a license from Hasbro (as is stated in his website's legal disclaimers); he assigned the trademark to Parker Brothers at the conclusion of the "Anti-Monopoly" case and its appeals.The game is currently in print, and is produced and distributed worldwide by
University Games .Trivia
A similar game (in that it inverts the objective of "Monopoly", but with the aim of giving away money and property) was described/invented by
science fiction authorPhilip K. Dick . ( [Manuscript "Diversion" 10-30-1958] "War Game" published in "Galaxy", Dec 1959). Selchow & Righter published the game "Go for Broke" in 1965. In the same vein, "Mad" magazine published a similar (albeit much more absurdist) game in 1979.In
Germany , where the original game was and is very popular, two more versions of "Anti-Monopoly" were created and popular in the late 1970s and 1980s: "Provopoli - Wem gehört die Stadt", wheresquatters take over parts of the town, and "Ökopoli" where the objective is to take over the town from polluters.References
*cite book | author=Anspach, Ralph | title=The Billion Dollar Monopoly Swindle |edition=Second edition|publisher=Xlibris Corporation|year=2000|id=ISBN 0-7388-3139-5
ee also
*History of the board game "Monopoly"
External links
* [http://www.antimonopoly.com "Anti-Monopoly" Home Page]
* [http://www.universitygames.com/ugitem.asp?itemno=01851&brand=UG "Anti-Monopoly"] on University Games' website
* [http://www.wafreepress.org/36/court.html Go to Court, Go Directly to Court] - article from the Washington Free Press
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