John: But what is prior-art?

Emily: You’re quite perceptive. Here, look at this, have you played Monopoly?

Emily: “Monopoly” Was Based on a Game Patented 30 Years Earlier.

According to Hasbro, a salesman named Charles Darrow invented Monopoly on his own during the Great Depression. In fact, the world’s most popular display of capitalism was actually an anti-capitalist game invented in 1903 (Patent no. US748626) by Lizzie Magie. Called “The Landlord’s Game,” the purpose of the game was to demonstrate the evils of private land ownership. Darrow likely played a version of the game in Atlantic City before pitching “Monopoly” to Parker Brothers as his own idea. Patented in 1935 by Darrow and the corporate game maker Parker Brothers (US2026082A), Monopoly would go on to become the world’s best-selling proprietary board game.

John: Interesting!

Emily: So prior is kind of ingredient to make new inventions.

Like, do you know when suitcase with wheels were patented ?

John: No idea!

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