A place to share, with respect... This website exists to share information with others. However, it is always import to respect the rights of others and their own hard work.
Any game images, rules, and history posted may be copied for PERSONAL USE from this site, unless it is stated otherwise. What I ask is that you ALWAYS ask for the website owner's for permission first (that's me), before you reproduce any of this website's contents through email, post onto web sites, publish, or use in other public forums. Some of the new images and contents are being posted with the kindness of public and private contributors who may wish to know of distribution before it occurs, or the information may be copyrighted material (like photography or articles) and 'require' permission to reproduce.
Please contact Thomas Forsyth at:
for permission to reproduce any work from this site in another public forum before you do so.
Generally, I will grant permission, but as stated, may need to get addition permission from those who provided material to this web site. Also, permission granted may depend on the contents intended use... if you plan to simply replicate the information on this site on your own site, then I would like to discuss how we might work together to have complimentary, rather than competitive web sites. At the very least let us give proper credit and links. If you would like a link to your web site do not hesitate to contact me. I have great support for those who have educational interest such as for a school a paper or article and have a good track record on that. Working together we can always accomplish more than working alone, or by taking another person's hard work without prior consultation. In other words, "let's all play nice in the sandbox together..."
I can not say enough thanks to those who have, and do contribute to this web site. We all have made a great leap forward by sharing our information with each other. I hope to foster that attitude by walking the talk - Thomas Forsyth.
ABOUT TRADEMARKS
The road to a trademark... The Landlord's Game®; in the United States is owned by Thomas Forsyth, owner/manager of yourPlay™, LLC, and since that's me I'll give myself permission to use it on this website. Wonder why I have "The Landlord's Game" trademark? First, unlike patents and copyrights, trademarks can be purchased if available. They do not go forever into public domain as they are used to protect a product name, brand, or logo that is in-use. Lizzie Magie Phillips never trademarked the game (which I find odd), nor did the Parker Brothers (which I do not find odd.) In June 2003, the trademark for "The Landlord's Game" was purchased by an game company, but they never published The Landlord's Game. They did however extend the application process to its fullest extent possible under U.S. law. I am known for having great patience and looking at the long-term horizon. After a long seven year wait for the application process to expire for non-use, the trademark was once again available. I put in an application just seconds after the stroke of mid-night at the abandonment date. I had some fears about who might next purchase the mark once dead and felt that I might make a better caretaker for the mark than another party if I was correct in my assumption. Also, it would allow me to publish the game without having to deal with another party, or at least make sure they are not going to misrepresent or bury it. I felt would leave me more latitude in publication(s).
The long journey to production... In 2010, I was able to distribute a publication of The Landlord's Game "in commerce" and secure the registered mark for the United States. Those first games sold out immediately but at a financial loss. It has been a long journey to get back to another publication run. I had put out a page on my website in August of 2013 to start building interest in my next production, a replica of Lizzie's 1906 game. But just after doing so my father was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease and my mother contracted breast cancer, this to be followed by increasing memory loss and stages of dementia. Anyone who has been a family caretaker under these circumstances knows how it can entirely consume one's own life. It was impossible to move the game idea forward but the interest continued to build as I kept working with the media to build the brand name through historical articles about the game. My father passed away in 2017, and my mother now lives close-by with proper care. As I moved into the second half of 2017 I finally was able to revisit the 1906 game project. I need to have production in commerce in the U.S. in 2018 to renew the trademark registration. The full-time "bread & butter" job I had been in for the last 13 years was moved to half-time and I started a new LLC, yourPlay™. I spent the summer of 2017 building a new company office space to manage the project. By the start of Winter I was now starting to work regular hours on building the new business foundations. By the first part of 2019, I had secured trademarks in the USA, EU, CANADA, and AUSTRALIA. By August 2019, I began distribution of the replica edition of the 1906 Landlord's Game with 537 games in the limited edition. The game sold out in June of 2021, with games sold in 45 states and 28 countries wordwide.As I move into July 2021, and as the world climbs out of a deadly pandemic, I have begun work on the next edition of the game that I plan to have a much lower price and much wider distribution. Game On!
Final thoughts... Unlike the many spin-off games of Monopoly®, The Landlord's Game® is monopoly's predecessor and game of origin. For this reason it holds a truly unique place. I was reading a book about game production recently. The author wrote this piece of advice; never go to a board game publisher saying, "this game is going to be the next Monopoly®." I chuckled as I thought to myself, I would probably say something like, "this game was the next monopoly." Hopefully we can make it so again, not to replace the now famous version that began its journey with Charles Darrow and the Parker Brothers, but to revisit what came before and all that was lost to a forgotten history.
Legal stuff... The trademark Monopoly®; is used without permission on this website. Nothing on this website, or promoted on this website, is sponsored by and/or affiliated in anyway with Hasbro, Inc., the producer of the game Monopoly®. Thomas Forsyth, and/or yourPlay, LLC have no association with Hasbro, Inc. or any of its affiliates. Additionally, Thomas Forsyth, nor yourPlay, LLC, makes or has any intent to make any profit and/or revenue from the Monopoly® trademark, nor are working, or have intent to do so, at anytime past, present, or future. Whenever possible the website uses "monopoly" in lowercase to help distinguish this as referring to the pre-Parker Brothers monopoly games in public domain from that of any Monopoly® games or other products covered by the Hasbro trademarks. This statement above was specifically written upon the recommendation and guidance of the one person who knows more about the original Monopoly® trademark, patent, and copyright than anyone. - Thanks R ;-)