Monster Cable - Continued...

Monster Cable has been busy, as always, attacking everyone possible if they dare to use the generic word 'monster'. Last month a small vintage clothing company posted some of their troubles caused by Monster Cable. This month it appears the spotlight victim is a company called Snow Monster(http://www.snowmonsters.com).

View the latest act of what seems to be pure arrogance and greed from Monster Cable:

http://www.stopthemonster.com/

For those who may have tried or will try to email Monster Cable in response to some of these things(or even telephoned, as Ray Kimber of Kimber called attempted and has posted on Audio Asylum), Monster Cable is using a 'canned' reply/response that appears to be at best half-truths. Please refer to this example:

http://www.stopthemonster.com/truelies.html

-Chris

It looks like their lawyers have a fishing licsnse.

“All additional costs, including attorneys’ fees incurred by Licensor [Monster Cable] shall be reimbursable by Licensee [Snow Monsters] within sixty (60) days of written evidence of expense.”

I still sounds like thinly disguised* extortion to me.

*Translation: "done by lawyers using the legal** system.

** please note I said the "legal" system, not the "justice" system. They are NOT the same. Never confuse the two.

uh oh.........I guess they'll be going after Hollywood soon, for using Frankenstien's monster, in a movie?

JVC said:

uh oh.........I guess they'll be going after Hollywood soon, for using Frankenstien's monster, in a movie?

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They did go after 'Scooby Doo and The Monster of Mexico' and 'Monster, Inc.'. Undisclosed settlements on both accounts. They, at least, seem to go after EVERYONE without discretion.

Imagine the consequences if it was common to trademark and aggressivly defend other common words from the dictionary? I could understand if the company Snowmonsters was called Snow Monster Cable, etc.; but's that not the case. Monster Cable should have chosen a 'unique' name if they wanted exclusive use of such word -- not a commonly used word. What's next? Sue Webster's for using the word 'monster' in their dictionary without permission? LOL.

-Chris

It's about time someone stoof up to those jackasses. I found it somewhat amusing about two dozen lawsuits ago. I'll spread the word everywhere I can.

WmAx said:

What's next? Sue Webster's for using the word 'monster' in their dictionary without permission? LOL.

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Nope, sue Webster's for failing to list their company name as the meaning of the word.

Thanks for pointing that out. I have never purchased a Monster Cable product and I never will.

The law in the U.S. needs to be rewritten so that the victims of this type of abuse can hit back hard. Abusive companies like Monster Cable should have their rights to all intellectual property (trademarks, copyrights, or patents) revoked entirely. Intellectual "property" is after all at best an amoral exception to many of the the morally-based principles of a freedom-based society -- free enterprise, freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom of expression, and freedom to communicate, share, and build on the ideas of others.

Monster Cable (as well as the RIAA, MPAA, etc.) are giving us a top-notch schooling as to exactly how intellectually and theoretically unsound and morally vapid "intellectual" "property" "rights" are. "Intellectual" "property" "rights" should be nothing more than CAUTIOUSLY AND NARROWLY CARVED EXCEPTIONS to many of the BEDROCK MORAL PRINCIPLES of our society.

And what does Monster Cable give us in return for using our PUBLICLY FUNDED legal system to extort money from innocent victims? In my opinion, no innovation at all -- just overpriced nonsense. "Intellectual property rights," as unsound in theory as they may be (it is a classic example of desirable ends being used to justify questionable means), are at least intended to promote free enterprise and innovation and the public interest, not inhibit them.

WmAx said:

Monster Cable has been busy, as always, attacking everyone possible if they dare to use the generic word 'monster'. Last month a small vintage clothing company posted some of their troubles caused by Monster Cable. This month it appears the spotlight victim is a company called Snow Monster(http://www.snowmonsters.com).

View the latest act of what seems to be pure arrogance and greed from Monster Cable:

http://www.stopthemonster.com/

For those who may have tried or will try to email Monster Cable in response to some of these things(or even telephoned, as Ray Kimber of Kimber called attempted and has posted on Audio Asylum), Monster Cable is using a 'canned' reply/response that appears to be at best half-truths. Please refer to this example:

http://www.stopthemonster.com/truelies.html

-Chris

Click to expand...

That's a great thing to do, to spread the word.

Rob Babcock said:

It's about time someone stood up to those jackasses. I found it somewhat amusing about two dozen lawsuits ago. I'll spread the word everywhere I can.

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I wonder if the guys at the Monster Garage are getting sued too. It's hard for me to imagine Disney with their deep pockets giving in to this type of extortion. And maybe they did not since the resolution is undisclosed

Nick250 said:

I wonder if the guys at the Monster Garage are getting sued too. It's hard for me to imagine Disney with their deep pockets giving in to this type of extortion. And maybe they did not since the resolution is undisclosed

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Already happened. Undisclosed settelment.

-Chris

Disney getting sued by Monster- that's like Hitler attacking Stalin! Maybe we'll get lucky and Monster will sue B(l)ose! Talk about King Kong vs Godzilla. Maybe they'd bankrupt each other and rid the world of their evil.

Unlike Bose, Monster Cable is truly a bad company, IMHO. If you want to see a truly bad audio company doing truly bad things in our society, that extend well beyond the world of relatively trivial audio concerns, study Monster Cable.

Rob Babcock said:

Disney getting sued by Monster- that's like Hitler attacking Stalin! Maybe we'll get lucky and Monster will sue B(l)ose! Talk about King Kong vs Godzilla. Maybe they'd bankrupt each other and rid the world of their evil.

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I went to the stopthemonster site and sent emails to each of the three addresses listed there to Monster Cable Co. Here's what I sent to all three:

I have never bought a Monster Cable, and after reading about what you have done, I never will! The way you are treating Snow Monsters, and others, makes me so mad, I'd love to spit in your face! The different Home Theater Forums online are having people post about this, and soon, all the buying public will know what you're doing. Lots of people won't be buying, and those that have may even get rid of the ones they have. You people need to be run out of business!

You should do similar................

I sent this letter to the addresses listed:

Be aware that your unfair strongarm tactics do not gain fans. I promise, as an audio enthusiast, to recommend to all friends and cosumers that I see in chain stores to use alternative brands as well as inform them as to why. Your unfair, and yes, rediculous tactics against companies(just two examples) such as snowmonster.com and vintage monster are unacceptable; a sign of blinding greed. I wish you the worst, economically.

Cordially,
Christopher XXXXX
wmax@linaeum.com
X-XXX-XXX-XXXX

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JVC said:

I went to the stopthemonster site and sent emails to each of the three addresses listed there to Monster Cable Co. Here's what I sent to all three:

I have never bought a Monster Cable, and after reading about what you have done, I never will! The way you are treating Snow Monsters, and others, makes me so mad, I'd love to spit in your face! The different Home Theater Forums online are having people post about this, and soon, all the buying public will know what you're doing. Lots of people won't be buying, and those that have may even get rid of the ones they have. You people need to be run out of business!

You should do similar................

Click to expand...

WmAx said:

I sent this letter to the addresses listed:

Click to expand...

I don't mean this as a spelling flame, because they suck. But if you're going to write letters to companies and expect them to take you seriously, please use a spell checker.

I always despised these guys, this is just another drop in the bucket.

Monster Cable sucks.......

Spitting at a company is not the way to modify their behavior, more importantly it does little to stiffle their business activities.

A couple of points....

Monster's products are not inferior products.

Yes, in my humble opionion, Monster can be over priced versus the competition, but the grade of materials and workmanship used on their entry level cables is as good than their competitors entry level cables, and Monster's entry level line conditioners (surge protectors) may be even better than any of their competitors, even at a higher price point.

Trying to put a company out of business because their product quality is not up to industry standards is hard enough to do, try doing so if their products are as good or better than the competitors!

IMHO the best stratigy is to preach value to the consumers..... there are lower cost options available through bigbox stores, Rat Shack, as well as independant electronics supply stores....informing the consumers that a $20 generic cable is as good as Monster's $40 cable is the real challenge, and the lost of sales will make the desired changes much quicker than vulgar words or activity.

right... I didn't mean their products suck, I meant they suck for their litigious activities.

Even though most boycotts don't amount to much, I know I won't be supporting their unethical business practices with my money.

Just yesterday I stopped at the same store I bought my receiver. I wanted to see what they had for power conditioners/surge protectors. All they had were Monster products. When I told the sales weasel I would not buy Monster products because of their business pratices he acted as if I had just told him his kids were ugly, got almost insulting. Actually his kids probably are ugly, but that type of thing has never happened to me before. Monster must be supplying a few free lunches along with their training demos for these guys.

BTW, a week before that I went to the local Radio Shack for speaker wire. I was very disappointed to see they also have been infiltrated by Monster. The guy even gave me the canned "Monter is far superior" sales pitch. I'm not argueing that it may be marginally better that normal speaker wire but not for twice the price. Not to mention the principles involved.