Blue Jeans Strikes Back

[jinjuku]

Kurt's plight with Monster has made it to Slashdot

Congrats!

 

[lordelix]

Hitting them where it hurts.

Kurt,
I am totaly thrilled at the response you gave to Monster. I have heard the stories for years about how they bullied the little guys around. Honesty is a rare commodity these days and luckily I am in a position, tho small, to hit em where it hurts. I have just sent back my endorsment agreement to Monster with a big red REJECTED stamp, courtesy of Photoshop of course. As one may have guessed, I'm a musician and due to the nature of the legal outlines in the endorsment letter cannot give any names. Keep fighting the good fight Kurt. My next order of cables will definatly be thru you.

 

[Austin M]

This story is making the rounds

I noticed some post saying this story has been Dugg and Slashdotted, but I also wanted to add this this story is being linked from HardOCP.com and Engadget, two heavily trafficked sites. They are both linking back to Audioholics so I hope that drives some new traffic to the site. Also, I have read numerous discussion posts on those two sites where people have pledged to, and in some cases have already, placed orders with Bluejeans Cable in response to this story. I too hope this does start a Streisand Effect and creates a healthy boost to both businesses.

Edit: Oh my, we are now up to 2300 diggs and climbing; prepare to be mentioned on Diggnation. I think this is going to generate a huge traffic spike on both Audioholics and Bluejeans Cable.

 

[markw]

Me and my big mouth.

http://www.monstercommunity.com/forum/thread/10942/Monster-Cable-Patent-Protection/

The guy who posted this seemed so smug that I just couldn't resist interjecting a comment.

 

[JeffN]

Bullies and Lawsuits

I do not compromise with bullies and I would rather spend fifty thousand dollars on defense than give you a dollar of unmerited settlement funds.

I was sued by a M.D./lawyer once. (Yes he had two degrees) I had several attorneys tell me to settle for the 30 grand that he was asking for, as I would spend more on attorney's fees. Heck no! I'm not a lawyer, but I defended myself in court for two years against him, and the ending judgment was $6,000 including interest. I saved $24,000 of my hard earned money, learned a heck of a lot and stood up for my principles.

Kurt, thanks for standing up to the bullies! If they decide to pursue this they are either sure of their position or stupid. If they loose, even better, as others can use your groundwork and resulting case files to slap-down any other new frivolous lawsuits.

 

[jinjuku]

Kurt,

When you win this farce and they settle in the 'open' (hopefully) or lose in court, you should booth up at a trade show right next to monster. I will offer to volunteer to man your booth that is decorated (as in wall papered) with the settlement/award documents.

What is sad is one copy would be enough to cover the entire square footage Maybe you should have random bits used as a nice ghosted back ground for all your paper packaging elements like bag toppers and the like.

Does anyone know if you are allowed to use another companies logo in parody?

 

[Raymond G]

The Monster Trolls have begun to attack!

It looks like the Monster fanboys are developing a strategy.

From Slashdot comments:

"Monster provided him with enough information (i.e., a reference to a patent, a reference to a trademark, and a reference to one of his products) for him to determine if he is in fact violating their rights. He responds by asking for a bunch of things they have no need and/or no ability to provide him at this stage (e.g., a list of their own products made that use a design patent's features, an exact legal description of what exact parts of his product infringe, etc.)

Many comments have heralded him as a hero for calling out some inadequacy in the Monster letter, but in reality, the information he has is enough for a skilled lawyer to determine if he is likely to be infringing any rights that Monster has. All of the design information about his cables and logos should be known to him or other people in his company, and all of the patent information and trademark information (including the correspondences he requested) is available for him and all of the public to view in high quality. Before discovery has taken place, he is in a much better position to make an argument that his products don't infringe than Monster is in to make an argument that his products do infringe because he knows more about his own products than they do and all of Monster's legal claims are rooted in patents/trademarks that are publicly available. The fact that he doesn't know how to find the public information indicates that being whatever type of lawyer he once was does not amount to sufficient qualifications to defend himself against this potential lawsuit.

He has not provided any legally sufficient grounds to rebut anything Monster said. He will probably antagonize them by requesting ridiculous things from their already busy employees when he should be getting those things himself. He will probably give them added confidence by responding in a way that shows both his ignorance of the subject matter and his overconfidence/willingness to fight back without proper legal council. I expect this not to be pretty for him in the future and hope others talk to a skilled IP lawyer before trying something like this."

I suspect that if they want to ratchet this up a level they will threaten a defamation suit because you allowed the letter to be posted publicy and in the letter (a) made an insinuation about Monster's off-shore activities, as well as (b) made an "observation" regarding Monster's "hit and run" bullying tactics.

In my opinion this would be more BS on their part, but it's more likely they'll continue to threaten BJC before they consider backing off.

By the way, I am a prior (and future) satisfied customer. Good luck!

 

[Wayne McDermott]

Blue Jeans Cable

Hi Kurt,

Do you sell your cables in Australia? I cannot find a distributor.

Regards,

Wayne McDermott

Will do. I pretty well intend to conduct this thing out in the open. We don't have any secrets in this matter.

Thanks to everyone; your supportive comments, e-mails and phone calls have all been extremely encouraging to us...

Kurt
Blue Jeans Cable

 

[KurtBJC]

Do you sell your cables in Australia? I cannot find a distributor.

We don't have distributors, but we do ship to Australia. You can either order on our UK site, www.bluejeanscable.co.uk (prices include shipping, except for orders under 50 GBP which have a 5 GBP surcharge), or on our US site (shipping charges for US will be charged, and we'll write to you for the additional shipping cost).

It looks like the Monster fanboys are developing a strategy.

If strategy is the word, yes. I saw that post and found it highly amusing. Oh, kids say the darnedest things....

Kurt
Blue Jeans Cable

 

[westcott]

Kurt,

Just thought I would let you know that you have my support. I have always admired how you do business and the last thing that I think of when I use your cables is their resemblance to Monster's overpriced and poorly engineered solutions.

Let me know if there is anything that the Audioholic community can do to help, should MC decided to pursue this. I could start charging admission and donate all the proceeds from "Home Theater Night"!

your friend,
Brad

 

[KurtBJC]

Let me know if there is anything that the Audioholic community can do to help, should MC decided to pursue this.

Thanks! I would say, "help spread the word," but it seems as though the many people I've asked to do that have done so to a degree which is, frankly, astonishing. Every time I turn around I find news of this little altercation on yet another news site, audio/video site, or blog.

When my wife and I started this business just over six years ago, we were surprised to find just how "viral" the internet is. We advertise here and there; we do what we can to push sales; but it seems that the sheer capability of the internet to drive information into people's hands far outpowers any advertising campaign that I could ever craft. And the present scenario is similar; in the pre-internet world, I'd have trouble getting my next-door neighbor interested in something like this, and yet here it is, in front of thousands of eyes....just amazing.

Thanks again to all...I will continue, of course, to keep you posted as matters develop (if, indeed, they develop at all). I'm headed out of town for a short while, though, so if you post something here and are hoping for a response, be aware that it's not that I'm ignoring you....

Thanks,

Kurt
Blue Jeans Cable

 

[EJ1]

I'm curious how much your business will increase during and after this. You might need a larger outfit in the near future.

 

[HiDefGuru]

3000 Diggs strong and counting.

I'll be putting in a full order when I get all my new equipment

 

[PGP_Protector]

Also a new visitor (Came in via Techdirt)

Love how you are responding to them.

 

[gene]

Thanks! I would say, "help spread the word," but it seems as though the many people I've asked to do that have done so to a degree which is, frankly, astonishing. Every time I turn around I find news of this little altercation on yet another news site, audio/video site, or blog.

When my wife and I started this business just over six years ago, we were surprised to find just how "viral" the internet is. We advertise here and there; we do what we can to push sales; but it seems that the sheer capability of the internet to drive information into people's hands far outpowers any advertising campaign that I could ever craft. And the present scenario is similar; in the pre-internet world, I'd have trouble getting my next-door neighbor interested in something like this, and yet here it is, in front of thousands of eyes....just amazing.

Thanks again to all...I will continue, of course, to keep you posted as matters develop (if, indeed, they develop at all). I'm headed out of town for a short while, though, so if you post something here and are hoping for a response, be aware that it's not that I'm ignoring you....

Thanks,

Kurt
Blue Jeans Cable

When a cable vendor consistantly makes product that pass the Audioholics snake oil tests, they simply sell themselves based on legitimacy. Combine that with your excellent pricing and customer support and you just hit internet jack pot. Truth is a marketable commodity, that so few cable companies to this day, have yet to figure out

 

[classT]

Made Metafilter - 68 comments so far

check metafilter.com/70857/Monster

The best marketing yet.

 

[TLS Guy]

Thanks! I would say, "help spread the word," but it seems as though the many people I've asked to do that have done so to a degree which is, frankly, astonishing. Every time I turn around I find news of this little altercation on yet another news site, audio/video site, or blog.

When my wife and I started this business just over six years ago, we were surprised to find just how "viral" the internet is. We advertise here and there; we do what we can to push sales; but it seems that the sheer capability of the internet to drive information into people's hands far outpowers any advertising campaign that I could ever craft. And the present scenario is similar; in the pre-internet world, I'd have trouble getting my next-door neighbor interested in something like this, and yet here it is, in front of thousands of eyes....just amazing.

Thanks again to all...I will continue, of course, to keep you posted as matters develop (if, indeed, they develop at all). I'm headed out of town for a short while, though, so if you post something here and are hoping for a response, be aware that it's not that I'm ignoring you....

Thanks,

Kurt
Blue Jeans Cable

You have interested parties who are pissed off. I have always voted republican, but I have to say Senator Obama is in touch. People are angry. I'm mad as hell at corporate America right now. Just look how they have committed treason against America and the West.

They have sent jobs to Asia, without accountability or oversight. They have had a good go at poisoning our children. Now I know there is lead in the plumbing parts there should not be, although the media do not have wind of this.

They manufacture substandard tires and put us all and risk on the road.

They fail to properly inspect aircraft.

All the time sending good paying jobs overseas, and making good folk desperate for their future.

Just take a look at Newton Iowa the former home of Maytag. Corporate mergers and sending jobs overseas has closed the factory. All that is left for the employees, who took such pride in making appliances that were the envy of the world, is to set up a wonderful museum to former glories. Now as far as I can tell the big box stores are full of Korean junk.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/18/sunday/main3381945.shtml

Then the bankers and mortgage brokers completely took leave of their senses and made poor loans. They were dishonest and certified them as good loans. When everything went sour and a significant portion of the wealth of the nation evaporated, Americas' good financial reputation and trust has evaporated with it.

We have been content to let China make the loins share of our manufactured goods, and we are in debt to them. The dollar is in free fall from all this malfeasance and stupidity, so the only place the US dollar has value is here. So the Chinese and Arabs are buying everything in America they can get their hands on. That gentlemen is how you loose your sovereignty effectively.

Currently America is in the hands of fools. I'm mad as hell and so should everybody else be.

 

[stratman]

A very keen observation Doc. You want a sad scene? Sixty years from now kids from all over the world will travel to America to see the great museums of once great inventions and machinery that dot all the places where proud and honest businesses stood long ago, long before the words "greed is good" were ever uttered on the silver screen, a time when ethics and truth stood for something, when we all had respect for money, long before our economy was swallowed by the Red Menace and we became a hollow shell, left as a nation in debt for life, subservient and living in our past glory, all we will produce then will be entertainment services, we'll be the clowns and jesters for the rest of the world. But hay I'm just a lowly caveman, what do I know?:

 

[gene]

You have interested parties who are pissed off. I have always voted republican, but I have to say Senator Obama is in touch. People are angry. I'm mad as hell at corporate America right now. Just look how they have committed treason against America and the West.

They have sent jobs to Asia, without accountability or oversight. They have had a good go at poisoning our children. Now I know there is lead in the plumbing parts there should not be, although the media do not have wind of this.

They manufacture substandard tires and put us all and risk on the road.

They fail to properly inspect aircraft.

All the time sending good paying jobs overseas, and making good folk desperate for their future.

Just take a look at Newton Iowa the former home of Maytag. Corporate mergers and sending jobs overseas has closed the factory. All that is left for the employees, who took such pride in making appliances that were the envy of the world, is to set up a wonderful museum to former glories. Now as far as I can tell the big box stores are full of Korean junk.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/...n3381945.shtml

Then the bankers and mortgage brokers completely took leave of their senses and made poor loans. They were dishonest and certified them as good loans. When everything went sour and a significant portion of the wealth of the nation evaporated, Americas' good financial reputation and trust has evaporated with it.

We have been content to let China make the loins share of our manufactured goods, and we are in debt to them. The dollar is in free fall from all this malfeasance and stupidity, so the only place the US dollar has value is here. So the Chinese and Arabs are buying everything in America they can get their hands on. That gentlemen is how you loose your sovereignty effectively.

Currently America is in the hands of fools. I'm mad as hell and so should everybody else be.

I couldn't have said it better myself. Sadly Obama's views are being distored by Fox news and Limbaugh/Beck conservative comedians that pretend to be factual commentators as well as Hillary who b/c of her ego is destroying any chance the dems have of wining this election.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Currently America is in the hands of fools. I'm mad as hell and so should everybody else be.

The guy is worried about his legacy, not the country, its people