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Patents and Trademarks

William Fuld | Carrie Fuld | William A Fuld | Isaac Fuld

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First Ouija Patent

Five Fuld family members held Ouija related patents, trademarks, and/or copyrights. William Fuld was the first Fuld to be granted a patent on the Ouija board (No. 479,266) on July 19, 1892 and his first trademark was on the word Oracle (No. 37,806) registered on February 18, 1902. His son William Andrew was the last family member to hold any Ouija patents and trademarks. His design patent (No. d114,534) registered on May 2, 1939 laid the groundwork for today's familiar Ouija board design. His trademark on the word Ouija (No. 519,636) registered on January 10, 1950 is the same one Hasbro owns today. All the registrations between are a testament to just what a valuable commodity the Ouija board is and what lengths the Fulds would go to protect it. To the left is the first patent filed on the Ouija board by Elijah Bond. William's ability to maintain control over this patent safeguarded him and his family against the many early attempts to manufacture faux Ouija boards.

Whether they protected design changes, the way the trademark looked, or an improvement to the board itself these registrations tell their own story. From 1890 through 1967 the Ouija board adapted to keep up with the times. Often these enhancements reflected cultural change and others simply by manufacturing costs. Without these records, some great stuff would be lost. Who knew there was Ouija Oil and Ouija Jewelry? Ever seen a triangular planchette or a battery powered Ouija board? If not you've come to the right place. Before you could search online, we spent way too many hours at the Patent and Trademark Office gathering these, and we hope you enjoy them as much as we do.