Wednesday, May 15, 2024
Extreme Monopoly Board Game Knockoff, Boca Raton edition
About two weeks ago I was at a local Walgreens in Boca Raton when I came across something unusual. I meant to blog about it then, but alas, I just now got a round tuit.
Anyway, what I found:
![[A picture of a game clearly based on Monopoly] Everglades University? Who ever heard of Everglades University? And in Boca Raton? I've been in Boca Raton for over 30 years and this is the first I've heard of it!](/2024/05/15/bocaratonopoly-front.jpg "Everglades University? Who ever heard of Everglades University? And in Boca Raton? I've been in Boca Raton for over 30 years and this is the first I've heard of it!")
![[Back of the box showing the board game and pieces] A pretzel? Really? A pretzel? The original Monopoly pieces are better related to Boca Raton than a preztel!](/2024/05/15/bocaratonopoly-back.jpg "A pretzel? Really? A pretzel? The original Monopoly pieces are better related to Boca Raton than a preztel!")
I amazed this even exists! I wonder who's idea this even was? The Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce?
Anyway, it's clearly a knockoff of Monopoly, as you won't find it for sale at Hasbro. It's actually made by Late for the Sky, which seems to make games based off Monopoly, or should I say, The Landlord's Game which is completely in the public domain (wink wink nudge nudge say no more say no more, unlike Monopoly. But Boca Raton Opoly sure looks like Monopoly, walks like Monopoly, and probably quacks like Monopoly, so I wonder how they get away with this?
Perhaps by flying under the radar of Habro?
Update later this day
Apparently, Hasbro doesn't care:
Leaders at Late for the Sky say Monopoly gameplay is not copyrighted, meaning any version of the game can be created as long as the board, pieces and names within the game are different from the original version.
Via my friend Jeff Cuscutis on LinkedPinMyFaceTikInstaMeTrestWeGramBookInTokSpace, Business making Monopoly games based on Carolina towns
