▁such ▁as ▁Standard ▁O il ▁in ▁many ▁countries , ▁and ▁histor ically , ▁luc r ative ▁colonial ▁" joint ▁stock " ▁companies ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Dutch ▁East ▁India ▁Company , ▁which ▁were ▁granted ▁exclusive ▁trad ing ▁privileges ▁with ▁colonial ▁poss essions ▁under ▁merc ant il ist ▁economic ▁policy . ▁Intel lect ual ▁property ▁such ▁as ▁copy right s ▁and ▁pat ents ▁are ▁government - gr anted ▁mon opol ies . ▁ ▁Another ▁example ▁is ▁the ▁thirty - year ▁government - gr anted ▁mon opol y ▁that ▁was ▁granted ▁to ▁Robert ▁F ult on ▁by ▁the ▁State ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁in ▁steam bo at ▁traffic , ▁but ▁was ▁later ▁ruled ▁by ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁to ▁be ▁un const itution al ▁because ▁of ▁a ▁conflic ting ▁inter - state ▁grant ▁to ▁Thomas ▁Gib b ons ▁by ▁the ▁federal ▁Congress . ▁ 2 ▁ ▁Econom ist ▁Lawrence ▁W . ▁Re ed ▁says ▁that ▁a ▁government ▁can ▁cause ▁a ▁co er ci ve ▁mon opol y ▁without ▁explicitly ▁b anning ▁competition ▁but ▁by ▁" simp ly ▁[ best ow ing ] ▁privileges , ▁imm un ities , ▁or ▁subs id ies ▁on ▁one ▁firm ▁while ▁impos ing ▁cost ly ▁requirements ▁on ▁all ▁others ." ▁For ▁example , ▁Alan ▁Gre ens pan , ▁in ▁his ▁ess ay ▁Ant it rust ▁arg ues ▁that ▁land ▁subs id ies ▁to ▁rail road ▁companies ▁in ▁the ▁western ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁in ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁created ▁a ▁co er ci ve ▁mon