No, I don't think they ever were. I just wanted to be precise in my previous comment and reference the time the article is set in.

Yes, there are legal monopolies, of course. But not if it's a retail product.

Of course you can have a monopoly on a retail product, how else could anyone ever introduce a new type of product to the market?

No. Monopoly is a form of market organization. Having a uniquely specific product doesn't make it a monopoly. If I introduce a new five-wheeled bicycle to the market, that doesn't mean I have a monopoly on the bicycle market.

No, monopoly is about being the only one doing something, not about "marketing organization".

If you invent the first bicycle and nobody else makes them then you do indeed have a monopoly on the bicycle market. The difference is just that we define "bicycle" as the market, not "5-wheeled bicycle".

Monopoly, monopsony, oligopoly, etc., are all forms of market organization. This is textbook.

[Update] Here we go: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_organization#Market...

or a pentacycle :)

https://horshamphotography.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/img_5...

This is the best thing ever.