# How the Board Game Monopoly Works

> The 1935 patent for the board game Monopoly, covering the layout of spaces and the rules for moving tokens around a track to buy and trade property.

- **Patent:** US 2026082
- **Original title:** Board game apparatus
- **Owner:** Parker Brothers Inc
- **Granted:** 1935
- **Status:** Public domain (expired)
- **Times cited:** 177
- **Field:** gaming

## What it does

The patent defines a board game apparatus consisting of a continuous path of spaces arranged in a square loop. Players move tokens along this path based on random number generation, typically dice rolls. The board includes specific designated spaces representing real estate properties that players can purchase, develop with structures, and collect rent from other players who land on them.

## What it does NOT cover

- Does not cover the underlying economic theory of land value taxation.
- Does not cover digital versions of the game implemented on computers or consoles.
- Does not cover variations of the board that do not follow the specific square-loop path configuration.
- Does not cover the specific artwork, character names, or branding associated with the game.

## The clever bit

The innovation was the combination of a closed-loop track with a resource-management system where the board itself acts as a persistent ledger for player wealth and property ownership.

## Real-world examples

1. Monopoly Classic board game
2. Monopoly Junior
3. Various themed Monopoly editions

## Why it matters

This patent protected the core mechanics of what became the most commercially successful board game in history. It established the standard for property-trading games and remains a foundational example of how game mechanics can be protected as intellectual property.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does How the Board Game Monopoly Works cover?

The 1935 patent for the board game Monopoly, covering the layout of spaces and the rules for moving tokens around a track to buy and trade property.

### Who owns patent US 2026082?

Parker Brothers Inc owns this patent, granted in 1935.

### When does this patent expire?

This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely.

### What is patent US 2026082 cited by?

This patent has been cited by 177 later patents that build on its ideas.

### What problem does this patent solve?

This patent protected the core mechanics of what became the most commercially successful board game in history. It established the standard for property-trading games and remains a foundational example of how game mechanics can be protected as intellectual property.

### What does this patent NOT cover?

Does not cover the underlying economic theory of land value taxation.

**Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/2026082/monopoly-board-game

**Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US2026082

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_Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._


## Related patents

Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus:

- [How the Game Twister Works](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/3454279/twister-game) — A 1966 patent for a floor-based game where players use their own bodies as game pieces on a mat with colored circles.
- [How the Classic Operation Board Game Works](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/3333846/operation-game-electric-probe) — A 1967 patent for an electronic game where a player uses a conductive probe to navigate a path without touching the sides, triggering a signal if they fail.
- [How the First Home Video Game Console Worked](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/3659285/video-game-console-magnavox) — Ralph Baer's 1969 patent for the Magnavox Odyssey, the first home video game system, which generated controllable dots on a standard television screen using analog circuitry.
- [How the Hula Hoop Works](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/3079728/hula-hoop-wham-o) — A 1963 patent for a lightweight, rigid plastic hoop designed to rotate around a human waist through rhythmic body movements.
- [How the 2x2x2 Magnetic Puzzle Cube Works](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/3655201/rotating-cube-puzzle) — A 1970 patent for a 2x2x2 puzzle cube held together by magnets that allows groups of pieces to rotate around three axes to solve a color-matching challenge.