Trivial Pursuit (Selchow and Righter / Parker Brothers / Hasbro)

 

Trivial Pursuit
Selchow and Righter / Parker Brothers / Hasbro

Chris Haney and Scott Abbott simply wanted to enjoy a game of Scrabble together. However, after discovering that pieces were missing, they quickly set their sites on the evening to creating their own game. The idea for the game was simple. A series of trivia questions, and a board separated by colorful categories. According to the duo, the concept was completed in all of thirty minutes.

The game was developed and released in 1981, and by 1982 was licensed to Selchow and Righter, who would distribute it to major retailers at a whopping $40.00! At the time it was considered the most expensive board game on the market, and by today's inflation rates was the equivalent of $111.71!

High price tag or not, Trivial Pursuit, or as it's known in its original format, Trivial Pursuit Master Genus Edition, quickly sold out across the country, and expanded across the globe. In an era of excess and egos, Trivial Pursuit was the ultimate party game.

It would soon also become the spotlight of a major lawsuit. Suspecting the developers behind Trivial Pursuit were taking their questions and answers from his book, The Trivia Encyclopedia, author Fred L. Worth searched through the various cards looking for proof. He found this when coming upon one particular question and answer.

The question, "What was Lt. Columbo's first name." The answer, "Philip." Worth had deliberately planted this question with the wrong answer in his book as a means to catch anyone who would attempt to plagiarize him, and it appeared to have served its purpose.

Fred sued the developers for three million dollars in 1984. However, his claim was denied when the inventors admitted openly that his books were among their sources, and that trivia could not be copyrighted. The judge agreed. Worth would eventually ask the Supreme Court to hear his case, but they declined in 1988.

A second lawsuit was filed in 1994 by David Wall, who claimed that he and his friend came up with the idea of the game, and shared their idea with Chris Haney, who picked them up while hitchhiking through Nova Scotia. The lawsuit didn't go far, as no evidence was ever produced, and Haney denied having ever met the man.

Frivolous lawsuits aside, Trivial Pursuit has expanded in spades over time, producing numerous versions based upon updates, licensed themes, and varying expansion packs. To this day, it remains an iconic game enjoyed by millions across the world, and seems to have poised itself to be enjoyed for decades and generations to come.

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