Hasbro is now the sole entity able to legally produce and profit from the game, but what of the prior generations of labor and creativity that made Yahtzee what is it today? If there is really nothing new under the sun, then dice enthusiasts must ask themselves an existential question. Like other human masterpieces, Yahtzee stood on the shoulders of giants and the world has reaped the benefits with a plethora of enjoyable dice games. And today, artificial intelligence like ChatGPT can regurgitate all of humankind’s digitized information without so much as a citation. West Side Story lifted themes from Romeo and Juliet. The biblical story of the Flood borrowed elements from the Epic of Gilgamesh. Depending on who you ask, this process can be a benign act of inspiration all the way through to downright plagiarism. But throughout history, great works of art have built upon their predecessors. The modern legal system, through copyright and trademark laws, provides the tools to enforce this protection. Hasbro, the game’s current custodian, certainly has a vested interest in securely maintaining its vast catalog of popular toys and games. Things began to change, however, as the modern concepts of private property and ownership evolved under societies beholden to the market economy. Prior to the age of global capitalism this myriad of related dice games was able to coexist peacefully, sustained by communal tradition and in private homes. The Roman dice game Tali is one of Yahtzee’s most ancient forerunners, originally played with knucklebone dice acquired from animal sacrifices. While they typically feature slightly different rules or scoring combinations, the modern Yahtzee enthusiast would be sure to recognize their common lineage.Īll of these Yahtzee-adjacent games have been shaped by dice-rollers over millennia. For example, Yatzie, Generalia, poker dice, Kniffel, and Jacy-Tacy often predate the modern version of Yahtzee as introduced by Lowe. Other well-known games are considered regional variations of Yahtzee and are still enjoyed today. Yahtzee sits in a precarious position where modern intellectual property rights and thousands of years of common law dice-throwing collide.Įarly forms of Yahtzee sit firmly in the historical record, including one played by a Canadian couple who sold the rights to Lowe in the 1950’s. When viewed through the prism of Yahtzee’s ancient origins coupled with the legal dealings of modern corporations, the true nature of the world’s most popular dice game remains murky. Lowe is credited with inventing modern Yahtzee, but the dice game has a long complicated history. Explore the fine line that companies must walk between protecting their most popular brands from piracy and unauthorized derivatives while keeping their fanbase happy.Įdwin S. Modern intellectual property laws, such as copyright and trademark protection, are vital tools to safeguard creative works of art. Yahtzee’s globe-spanning popularity makes the game a cash cow for its corporate owner, Hasbro Inc., but also makes it a target for third-party exploitation. How to Develop a Winning Yahtzee Mentalityīeyond the Rule Book: Yahtzee and Intellectual Property Law
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