Question about Topps' monopoly on cards--then and now

byronscott4ever · Feb 2, 2012

Just curious, but why is it that Topps' former monopoly resulted in a lawsuit for Donruss and Fleer to get into the card game but presently they have the same monopoly and it appears to be okay?

ThoseBackPages · Feb 2, 2012

Fleer started their lawsuit in 1975, so it took them 6 years. Expect more companies in 2015

smapdi · Feb 2, 2012

The difference is that Topps actively fought other companies from making 2.5" x 3.5" pieces of cardboard with pictures of ballplayers on them. They didn't fight postcards, posters, books, action figures, Dixie Cups, 7-11 Slurpee cups, etc. A judge ruled in 1980 that other companies have the right to make such objects, and that's what broke the monopoly (which wasn't really a monopoly but whatever). Today, other companies have the right to make cards, but they lack the licensing from the groups that would allow one to make major league baseball cards. I'm not sure but I don't think MLB and MLBPA can be forced to grant such licenses to more than one company.

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Question about Topps' monopoly on cards--then and now

byronscott4ever

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ThoseBackPages

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smapdi

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