WADDINGTONS
Waddingtons has been registered in the UK for games and playing cards since the company was founded in Leeds in 1922. Waddingtons held the UK licence to manufacture Monopoly and Cluedo — two of the best-selling board games in British history.
UK IPO Record
Brand History & Trademark Analysis
Waddingtons has been registered in the UK for games and playing cards since the company was founded in Leeds in 1922. Waddingtons held the UK licence to manufacture Monopoly and Cluedo — two of the best-selling board games in British history. The company also produced the playing cards that concealed escape maps for Allied prisoners of war during World War II, adding an extraordinary chapter to its trademark story.
The company also produced the playing cards that concealed escape maps for Allied prisoners of war during World War II, adding an extraordinary chapter to its trademark story.
Nice Class 28 covers games & sporting goods. View all Class 28 trademarks and case studies →
Historical Background
John Waddington founded the printing and publishing company in Leeds in 1896, with games production beginning in the 1920s. Waddingtons acquired the rights to produce Monopoly in the UK in 1935 from Charles Darrow and Parker Brothers, and in doing so created the London-themed UK edition that replaced the original Atlantic City street names. The company collaborated with British intelligence during World War II, inserting silk escape maps and metal compasses into Monopoly sets sent to Allied prisoners of war in Germany and occupied Europe. Hasbro acquired Waddingtons in 1994 and transferred the trademark registrations to its own portfolio.