Mon 10 Jan 2005
Monster(tm) Cables, Inc. Vies With SCO for Honor: Most Evil Company
Posted by Brian under Random ThoughtsIn an earlier post I talked about buying Monster(tm) cables to hook up my stereo equipment and recommended the same to others. That was before my friend Scott pointed me to some news articles about Monster(tm) Cables, Inc.’s recent litigious rampage. For the past several months, they have been suing anyone and everyone who uses the word “monster” anywhere in their name (or slogan). Apparently they claim to own the trademark to the word “monster” and feel that their brand (high-end audio/video cables) is being diluted by companies including:
- Monster.com (job search)
- MonsterVintage.com (vintage clothing)
- SnowMonsters.com (a website that teaches children about snow skiing)
- The Discovery Channel, producers of Monster Garage (a tv show about car-building projects)
- And my absolute personal favorite: Boudreax’s Country Kitchen, “Home of the monster shrimp”
MonsterVintage.com has a detailed description of the types of tactics they’re up against (scroll down to the bottom of their home page -- it would be humorous if it weren’t true). And just in case you think I’m exaggerating, here’s a link to the “100+” (according to the search results) current US Patent & Trademark Office lawsuits in which “Monster(tm) Cable Products, Inc.” is listed as the plaintiff.
Now, I’m no intellectual property attorney, but I can certainly recognize the smell of cheese. If there has ever been a more transparent attempt to use corporate might and deep pockets to walk all over the “little guy” (and for really no good reason at all) I’ve yet to see it. Of course, Monster(tm) may have an uphill battle if they plan to contest every single useage of the word “monster” in every possible website name. According to WhoIs.org, there are currently thousands of registered domains that contain the word “monster.” I hope they have lots o’ lawyers.
C’mon, Monster(tm) -- wake up and stop being such a bunch of evil bastards. I, for one, have bought my last Monster(tm) cable. I have high hopes that this will wash out like some other high profile examples of this type of extortion in the name of “protecting the brand” have in the past.
January 23rd, 2006 at 12:47 pm
This is absolutely ridiculous. The majority of these ‘offending’ websites have nothing to do with electronics. It’s insane to think they’re going to sue solely on the fact that these people have a similar name. How many A1-auto body, A1-paving, A1-maid service companies are out there…It shows up first in the phonebook. You don’t see them trying to sue one another.
February 3rd, 2006 at 4:15 pm
Bah… this would be like metallica suing every musician in the world for a cut every time they played an E5 chord… absolutely ridiculous…
BUY ETHERAL CABLES!!!!!
BTW Mabe monstercable should change their name to “Mobster Cable”.after all this crap.
February 18th, 2006 at 11:36 am
Even though I switched to Straight Wire years back, I can honestly say this is one of the most ridiculous scams I have seen an electronics company use, presumably, to increase revenue…why else would you waste the time suing everyone in sight? Thumbs down for Muenster Cable…they stink.
February 19th, 2006 at 10:21 pm
I’ve bought my last Monster Cable. I wonder if they’ve got a lawsuit against Monster Magnet?
February 22nd, 2006 at 1:20 pm
*finger wag* tsk tsk tsk….karma is gonna git you, Monster Cable.
Not that I’m a big cable purchaser, but I’ve stopped shopping at Wal-Mart, stopped eating at McDonald’s & I can NOT buy Monster Cable products. And I’ll bug my friends not to, too.
seeeeeeee? the negative stuff gets around much faster than the positive….I learned that working in retail…I wonder when MC will.
February 24th, 2006 at 10:39 am
I am an electronics installer who has used Monster products, and I’ll be the first to tell you that they are some great products.
However, I will NEVER quote another Mobster product in any job I do, ever again! Not once when I’ve looked at clothing, watched a TV show about cars, or watched a certain Disney movie did I think Monster Cable. Shame on Noel Lee and all things Monster (cabel, power, etc)
February 27th, 2006 at 1:49 pm
You know, Mogami makes better cables anyway.
March 9th, 2006 at 3:02 pm
Thats it, mister! You have repeatedly abused our trademark with this post by using the word Monster ™ over and over. Plus, you said bad things about us and that makes it worse.
We’ll see how fearless your canine hindquarters are when you are facing the judge!
March 20th, 2006 at 1:16 pm
Did anyone ever mention how horribly overpriced “Monster” Cable’s products are? Bend over & grab your ankles when you buy Monster Cables.
March 29th, 2006 at 11:15 am
Monster Cable legal department sounds like a little school child and should be facing the judge & jury. What Arrogance of Monster Cable to think people can’t use the word Monster in any format.
This is an awesome website where people can exercise their Freedom of Speech and Monster Cable cannot stop that in any court with all their money and lawyers. If you want to learn more about thier tactics and abusive behavior within the legal system check out Monstervintage.com and scroll down on the front page. Thanks Brian for the post about Monster Cable.
We are the Monsters of Vintage Clothing!
Monster Monster Monster Monster Monster and more Monsters!
April 6th, 2006 at 9:14 pm
I bought a Monster cable a while back because I liked the lifetime warranty, it breaks you return it get a new one for nothin. Do they still do that? Anyhow, since then I’ve switched to Planet Wave and I have no complaints. My Monster cable has been with me for a while though, and it’s stood up to some abuse. Great product.
April 12th, 2006 at 7:18 pm
Does the Loch Ness Monster have a lawyer?
April 14th, 2006 at 2:38 pm
Bake me some cookies and I won’t kick you in the junk. WTF…..
April 20th, 2006 at 9:39 am
Eh, don’t care, good cables either way
April 24th, 2006 at 7:41 pm
Well, I don’t beleive in companies trying to publicise their brand by eliminating everything that sounds like their name, even if it has nothing to do with their product.
Thanks for letting me know. I will never buy a thing from Monster Cable ever again.
April 24th, 2006 at 11:21 pm
Hey, thanks for all the comments folks!
Anonymous, they are OK cables, but you should definitely care. Don’t you see it as a problem with our legal system when a company can run over it’s smaller competitors, not on the merit of its claims, but simply because it has lots of money and a staff of lawyers? Yes, it happens all the time, but the lengths to which Monster is going are ridiculous.
BTW, I ran across this site that goes into even more details about Monster and their tactics -- interesting read. http://www.monstergreed.com/
To the Monsters of MonsterVintage -- keep up the fight! I love to see the “little guy” holding his own! Thanks for the comment.
May 3rd, 2006 at 1:49 pm
Anyone who spends the kind of money that Monster asks for their products deserve what they suffer. Anyne familiar with signal propagation and wiring will tell you that the lowest priced wiring that will handle the current and reproduce the signal without deterioration is what one should select for interconnects. Monster’s cabling priced anywhere from 10-1000 times more than the perfectly adequate interconnect is an unmitigated ripoff. In 50+ years in this audio video hobby, I am proud to say that I have never contemplated the purchase of a monster anything.
May 5th, 2006 at 7:27 pm
Only a matter of time before they are out of business. They are trying to get into other markets like breath mints, furniture, and my favorite screen cleaner or as I call it Monster Windex.
May 14th, 2006 at 12:03 am
Hah! Thanks for the tip Pete. I had to see it to believe it, so a quick Google search led me to this page for “Moster ™ iClean Screen Cleaner”:
http://www.monstercable.com/productPagePrint.asp?pin=2105
Now for the million dollar question… how soon until they start suing everyone who uses iClean in their name? According to the page above, “iClean” is a Monster trademark, and according to Google, there are a bunch of products out there using that name. Here we go again…
May 20th, 2006 at 3:15 pm
Monster cables are a stupid idea anyway. Never bought one, never will. Now especially as they are total dangerous jerks.
May 20th, 2006 at 3:16 pm
Monster cables are a stupid idea anyway.
(well, maybe not so stupid for their CEO who can afford frivolous lawsuits now…)
Never bought one, never will. Now especially as they are total dangerous jerks.
May 20th, 2006 at 5:30 pm
These big companies are pissing in their pants now that the common person has the power to:
Release Indie Albums without a greedy major label
Fight bullshit lawsuits with the stroke of a pen/mouse
Gather information worldwide with a mouseclick
Is this the revolution that we have waited 40 years for?
May 20th, 2006 at 6:10 pm
I wonder if Cookie Monster will file a counter-suit.
May 26th, 2006 at 3:06 pm
I understand there is a company getting ready to show Monster Cable who their real daddy is. Apparently a company out of South Carolina called, get this “MONSTERDADDY.com” is serving them with a lawsuit for stepping on the wrong toes. MONSTERDADDY apparently is not one to be messed with and the claims are they do not plan to settle anything.
Their website is presently under construction, however the company is a intellectual holding & licensing company that owns a variety of registered names and companies. I understand they will protect their marks fiercely in the chemical industry and any marks that are remotely close to any of their marks. Their lastest war was with the a Monster called the Sunshine makers, the makers of a cleaning product called Simple Green for using one of their registered marks and won for an undisclosed amount. Apparently they own an operating company called MONSTER INDUSTRIAL that has a full line of products, some consisting of highly concentrated cleaners, exotic waxes, glue etc. for commercial and Industrial use. I guess finally there is somebody that is not going to back down. “WHO’s YOUR DADDY” now monster cable?
May 27th, 2006 at 8:34 am
Interesting! Thanks for the info Bobby. Will have to keep an eye out for that one.
June 13th, 2006 at 10:01 am
hate to sound like a socialist, BUT this insane action is symptomatic for the litigious-nature of our present social system (not to mention the selfishness of my “boomer” generation….”me, me, me…”). does anyone else think there are way too many lawyers in the world these days? the stuff people will sue over these days is simply amazing.
Monster cables will no longer grace my rig. ever.
e
June 19th, 2006 at 5:34 pm
Gee…Even Cookie Monster learned to share. Uh oh! Watch out PBS.
July 12th, 2006 at 8:51 pm
Monster cable dont have a monopoly on quality cables. Nor on their name when used for not cable related products.
What they do have is a groundswell of negative publicity due to their actions.
Keep it up people!
July 14th, 2006 at 1:52 pm
I got a free monster guitar cable a while back and I like it just fine. But us poor starving musicians could never actually affort their product. I hope they get what they deserve.
August 1st, 2006 at 9:44 am
There is much better cable out there, such as AudioQuest, Kimber, Tara Labs, Straightwire, even affordable cable by Acoustic Research and Sonicwave.
I haven’t bought Monster Cable for years, because I knew they were a rip off to start with.
August 9th, 2006 at 3:23 pm
Yes this is ridiculous. Man, I guess I should make a company called “And Co.” and then I can go around trying to get people to pay for saying or writing the word “and”. It’s just the same…I miss the public domain too.
As far as guitar cables go, go with George L’s cables.
Still, Monster isn’t as insane as SCO. Those guys are about the lowest of all.
August 12th, 2006 at 4:07 pm
I’m in the process of buying a couple thousand feet of shielded cable for my various audio and MIDI needs. I’m sick of getting ripped off by any company, Monster included. Wanna really stick it to Monster? Roll your own!
August 30th, 2006 at 7:13 pm
Hey does anybody know about this Monster Daddy Company? I have been reading about were a Licensing Company Monster Daddy has sued Monster Cable. Is this true? If so I hope they win! Go Daddy!
April 12th, 2007 at 9:01 pm
Noel Lee is a complete idiot to think he can go on acting like a rich bitch before somebody hand his ass to him…. What goes around comes around.
April 16th, 2007 at 1:46 pm
Just when I think I’ve seen the MONSTER od dumb corporate idea of all time, WHAMMO - I get a MONSTER surprise again.
This would be funny if it weren’t so MONSTROUSLY pathetic. I don’t understand how you can copyright an adjective. What a MONSTER turd.
Who just rang my doorbell?? Christ, it’s the lawyers of MONSTER!!! RUN FOR THE HILLS!!!
June 28th, 2007 at 3:08 pm
Monster Daddy is taking Monster Cable down for Trademark Infringment. After further research of this company, they are showing the courts they are not a famous mark as Mr Noel Lee would like to think opening the flood gates for all these bogus claims they make meaningless.
November 28th, 2007 at 10:55 am
Hi.
Good design, who make it?
December 12th, 2007 at 9:00 am
Sesame Street should sue for infringement of the Cookie monster title.
February 15th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
I am one half of Design Monsters, a graphic design company and just this week received a letter from the Monster Cable lawyers. We have had our lawyer answer them just today! It’s great to read all of your comments and to feel the love. I have no idea what I am about to experience, never been sued and never had to face a schoolyard bully. Wish us luck!
July 17th, 2008 at 11:51 pm
direct federal student loan