Shocker: Monster Cable Still Up To Its Old Tricks

from the speaks-to-credibility-your-honor dept

Fri, Apr 10th 2009 6:48am — Carlo Longino

Right after the first of the year, it looked like Monster Cable might be taking a new tack in its trademark "strategy", after it dropped a lawsuit against a company called Monster Mini-Golf. Monster Cable has a long history of suing lots of business -- no matter what line of work they're in -- that use the word monster in their name, but given the backlash against it and its subsequent apology in the mini-golf case, it seemed that maybe, just maybe it was changing its ways. That was false hope, apparently, as it's now going after a company called Monster Transmission (via Engadget). The cable company apparently claims it "has no issue" with the transmission company, but that's news to one of its owners. Monster Cable also claims the suit was filed before its backdown in the Monster Mini-Golf case, as if that's supposed to make it okay. But if the company really "has no issue" -- why not just withdraw the suit?

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Filed Under: monster, trademarks
Companies: monster cable, monster transmission

24 Comments

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Monster Troll, 10 Apr 2009 @ 7:10am

Sue Me
Monster cable is no better than a wire hanger.
Is there a Monster Hanger company to sue?
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- :Lobo Santo, 10 Apr 2009 @ 7:17am
  
  Re: Sue Me
  Well, yeah. But Monster Hangers just look like a noose.
  
  Monster Hangars, on the other hand...
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  - JAF, 10 Apr 2009 @ 10:05am
    
    Re: Re: Sue Me
    so if I had a monster to hang, then I would get on of these?
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Jake, 10 Apr 2009 @ 7:25am

I can kind of see how the alternative meanings of the word 'transmission' might just lead to the occasional brief moment of confusion for the kind of person who spends $80 on a few feet of cable.
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lulz, 10 Apr 2009 @ 7:27am

Possibly even a boycott of Monster Cable products would be appropriate

Wait wait wait, people actually buy their overpriced garbage? News to me.
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- Anonymous Coward, 10 Apr 2009 @ 7:28am
  
  Re:
  sorry double post
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lulz, 10 Apr 2009 @ 7:27am

Possibly even a boycott of Monster Cable products would be appropriate

Wait wait wait, people actually buy their overpriced garbage? News to me.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Apr 2009 @ 7:37am

A digital signal is a digital signal. Anybody who thinks a $150 Monster HDMI cable offers better image quality than a $12 HMDI cable from Newegg is delusional.

Lawsuits over names should ONLY be allowed to pertain to companies in the same industry as you, that sell competing products and/or services. It's pretty obvious that Monster isn't suing anybody that is hurting its business. Chalk this up to yet another company that's resorted to becoming a trademark troll.
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- Jon, 10 Apr 2009 @ 9:04am
  
  Re:
  Or even a $5 HDMI cable from Monoprice!
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Apr 2009 @ 7:44am

the only thing MONSTER about their cables is the price!
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- Anonymous Coward, 10 Apr 2009 @ 7:55am
  
  Re:
  Wrong! Their suck is monster too.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Apr 2009 @ 7:58am

These other Monster companies are obviously stealing from the true Monster company which is just defending their Intellectual Property.

hmmm what else, oh yeah -
they have to defend the name or they lose it

and ...
damn pirates
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Apr 2009 @ 8:11am

a quick ?
I may be out of touch, but has Monster Cable tried to sue Monster.com?
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- Anonymous Poster, 10 Apr 2009 @ 8:13am
  
  Re: a quick ?
  Yes, they have.
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- Anonymous Coward, 10 Apr 2009 @ 11:21am
  
  Re: a quick ?
  yes as mentioned they have look at the bottom of the page @ http://www.monster.com/
  
  "NYSE: MWW - Looking for Monster Cable?"
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Johnny, 10 Apr 2009 @ 8:16am

There is a monster mini golf where I live and I have to say, their logo looks almost exactly like the Monster Energy drink logo. So much it makes one a little suspicious. Not that that has anything to do with the cable company...
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Apr 2009 @ 8:27am

I wish I made a product that I could spend a few cents on dressing it up with a logo, then resell it at a 1500% markup by cornering the market at every major retail chain getting 17 year olds to upsell it for me while working at minimum wage.

With all that profit I think I would have to hire out a crack law firm to sue anyone that even spoke an ill word against my company, let alone tried to use a common noun that so much as rhymed with my company name.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Apr 2009 @ 8:53am

hmmm
http://www.madmartian.com/moc/
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Apr 2009 @ 9:02am

Monster Fail.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Apr 2009 @ 9:31am

monster cable, one of the biggest ripoffs of retards, just after extended warranties.

the mind boggles at the stupidity of paying such a gigantic markup.

(hmm, maybe I'll start Gigantic Cable Inc?)
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GHynson, 10 Apr 2009 @ 9:50am

Monster What?!?
I'd like to see them sue Monster Cock.com
And get a female judge and jury.
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James, 10 Apr 2009 @ 10:26am

Hmm... what about that movie...
...Monsters vs Aliens? They should sue them because clearly its ripping off their name.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Apr 2009 @ 10:17pm

What about Monster energy drinks? Have they sued them too?
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Maya, 5 Dec 2009 @ 5:40am

Monster Cables maybe it's "monster" company as the company name says. I prefer the Monster.com or CV2U with CV listing websites and they are no "monsters" to me.
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