The Case of Monopolies
Court of King's Bench
77 Eng. Rep. 1260 (1602)
Relevant factsFree
Queen Elizabeth granted Ralph Bowes (plaintiff) a patent giving him the exclusive right to import and sell playing cards in England in exchange for an annual fee to the crown. When businessman T. Allein (defendant) began undercutting Bowes by selling playing cards at lower prices, Bowes sued, arguing Allein violated his lawful monopoly and caused him lost sales that left him unable to pay the queen's fee.
IssueFree
Whether a government-granted monopoly over an ordinary, standard commodity is consistent with the general principles of the common law.