Monster Cable is suing Florida-based Monster Transmission, a manufacturer of performance parts for vehicles. Monster Cable has a long history of suing companies who share the word “Monster”, but had said recently they were going to back off such frivolous and unnecessary attacks.
Did you know that Engadget has a moratorium against cover Monster Cable products in response to all these tactics? I caught a little guff from some readers when I reviewed some Monster Cable headphones a few weeks ago. I can’t decide if ignoring a whole company’s products when part of your job is to review products is a good idea or not, but I applaud Engadget‘s chutzpah all the same.
I wouldn’t buy anything from Monster simply because most of their stuff is ridiculously overpriced and aimed towards people who have more money than sense. Their ridiculous badgering of other companies that have nothing to do with their niche market pushes me over the edge into actively resenting them instead of just being annoyed.
Monster.com should sue Monster Cable IMO and make them change their name to something else.
Hunterz: Monster Cable has been around since the 1970s, and therefore predate Monster.com by several years. Indeed, Monster.com is in the list of companies Monster cable has threatened.
Monster cable + digital = scam. There’s naught more to say.
Objectivity be damned. These sacks of shit use shady practices to trick consumers, which is nothing new, but they are brazen and remorseless about it. I think isolating consumers from that crap is laudable. Even more laudable is pushing negative publicity about Monster.
I wonder if we could deplete their legal ‘resources’ by registering as many Monster “X” products as possible?
So strange that a company with business practices already ripe for singling-out would engage in such a silly pattern of behavior. I almost think they’re getting bad (i.e. incredibly overaggressive) legal advice on trademark protection.
They can’t possibly be making any significant percentage of their revenue from settlements and there is absolutely no risk of generic-ization of their mark (i.e. no one ever says, “I’m cheap, so I’ve gotta go buy a store brand monster to connect my DVD player to my TV!” or even “listen to how clear the signal is on this totally high end monster I used to hook up my stereo!”)
Monster does not have an issue with Monster Transmission. We advised our outside attorneys several months ago to resolve the matter and they are in the process working that out with Monster Transmission’s attorneys. This case was filed last year, before the Monster Mini Golf Matter was settled. We have learned from our experience with the fallout from the Monster Mini Golf matter that we can be “legally†right in the protection of our trademark, but wrong in the eyes of our customers.
We now know we have to balance protecting trademark rights with the opinion of our customers. We will always consider and value the opinion of our customers.
@anonymous monstertroll
If you don’t have an issue with Monster Transmission, what’s the matter you’re paying attorneys to resolve?
@ anon #7 – I advise you to get bent.
Monster Cable? , they make bike locks for Ducati Monsters right?
@ anon #7
They have cut and paste this statement on other blogs as well.
I guess we are to believe that stopping this legal process is more difficult than stopping the assualt of negative publicity that has resulted.
This is just the juiciest, latest fugup by Monster. Given the economy, I wonder if they will be forced to become at least a bit more PRICE competitive soon, or all will be lost for them – because the negative wave from this is astounding! It’s almost as astounding as their price mark-up.
I mean c’mon, Monster has commented on every site that is covering this, and NO ONE is buying it.
Monster: you really screwed the pooch; hell, you raped it.
I resolve to try harder to steer friends toward the excellent and reasonably priced products that are your competition.
Monster Cables with their ‘lifetime guarantee’ is a joke. When my bass cable started messin up after a year or so, they said to mail it back with the original receipt and they’d replace it.
How many years should one keep such a receipt and why would it need to be dug up if they stand behind the product? I stear clear of these ripoff cables now, and advise other bassist to do the same.
You should definitely join Engaget in its blockade of giving these scam artists publicity.
I bought a Monster Cable guitar patch cord a couple of years ago.
If I were a company, I wouldn’t want any association, accidental or not, with a company that makes a piece of shit cable that breaks within two months of normal usage.
I hate to see people lose their jobs, but I hope Monster goes under soon. Why do they care if a non-competitor has Monster in their name? How can they think suing these companies has anything but negative imapct on themselves? They should take the money they spend on frivolous lawsuits and lower the price of their products. Not that I would waster good money on their stuff even if it was cheaper. They are con men. It has been scientifically proven that their cable is not superior to that costing much less, including COAT HANGERS (Google it). Why is Monster Cable’s LLC in Bermuda? They wouldn’t be trying to avoid paying US taxes would they? I say BOYCOTT all Monster Cable crap. And let me tell you about this killer car wax I have for sale. It’s $150 for 4 ounces but it’s really really good.