Monster Cable is Back! Sues Mini-Golf Company

[Matt34]

Let's tone down the language a bit.

 

[jinjuku]

Mr. Lee,

Your biggest problem here is assuming blanket stupidity of the common public.

You're not a house hold name like: Apple, eBay, Amazon. You simply aren't. You don't hold public sway of brand. You have no real brand to dilute. You think you do, but you don't.

You make quality (I won't ever say that you didn't) but over priced cables. You make a product and charge what an under-educated, unsuspecting market will bare.

As the owner of a company I know what I would be most worried about. You picked the wrong fight and you have stirred up a hornets nest. There were a bunch of different ways that you could have worked with MMG.

MANY of those ways could have been a WIN/WIN. But you only see yourself winning if someone else loses.

The biggest thing you have to really worry about now is not that there could be some dilution of a brand name, but rather people will realize the extremely poor cost / benefit ratio that your ENTIRE line up of cabling represents. That people will not equate Monster Cable with Monster Mini Golf, but rather Monster Cable = Way overpriced cabling that the consumer can get for a literal 10th of the price else where.

You created this dog's meal. Eat up.

 

[MonsterMiniGolf]

Ahhhh, I think I see something here which could be a source of confusion, so let me clear it up right now....
Pangritt makes reference to a mark we applied for, that I didn't think was completely true, so I went back to our original applications and I think I can offer something constructive here....
Back when we were creating this, long before we had any idea that suits like this existed, we created our monster themed concept, named it, and applied for marks for that name, " monster mini golf".
As a backup plan, we applied for a variety of alternate names including "monster family entertainment centers", "monster mini golf" as a logo (NOT as text, but as a logo or image) and monster as an image, as reflected in our logo. (I think that may be the bone of contention, but to be clear, our registration as it pertained to the word monster alone, was for image/logo only, not the word, and we will happily abandon that app if that is what Mr Lee is so upset about)
If any of these alternates are the source of contention with MC, let me make a proactive move toward peace, and publically let MC know that we are ONLY interested in the "monster mini Golf" mark, as it is descriptive of our product.
If it is ANY of the alternate applications that are hanging MC up, let me officially declare that we will gladly abandon ALL other marks applied for, if MC will let us keep the "monster mini golf" mark and logo.
I may be off base here, but judging by what I just read, it sounds like it's not "monster mini golf" that they are specifically objecting to.

So what do you say guys, are we making progress?
Patrick

 

[MatthewB.]

jinjuku

 

[jinjuku]

if MC will let us keep the "monster mini golf" mark and logo.
I may be off base here, but judging by what I just read, it sounds like it's not "monster mini golf" that they are specifically objecting to.

So what do you say guys, are we making progress?
Patrick

Just remember, you don't need to ask for permission to keep something as unique as 'Monster Mini Golf'. You don't need Mr. Lee's permission.

Another real issue is that he simply wouldn't speak with you about it over a coffee. You were awarded trademark for both name and logo of monster mini golf. The period for someone or entity to contest that passed.

 

[MonsterMiniGolf]

Jin,
They did file oppositions, that's how this whole thing started. The lawsuit came later. So the suit is now on the backburner, and we are back to where we were nearly two years ago, squabbling over trademark oppositions.
But for the record, they did file their oppositions on time.
Patrick

 

[MidnightSensi]

 

[MidnightSensi]

Has anyone seen the videos of this Monster Mini Golf place? I'd pop some E and go hang out there anyday. Glow in the dark is dope.

If I sold a product that looks like poop called Monster S**t would he sue me or leave that one alone? Basically, does he own monster s**ts?

 

[Jack Hammer]

I Have to admit I have strongly mixed feelings about the lawsuit being dropped. Part of me, a big part, is extemely happy for MMG. Yet another part sees it as no precident being set if MMG had went to court and won the case. That is a precident to help out the next small company and possibly prevent them from going through the same emotional and financial grief. As I see it, after this whole MMG thing ends, there may still be several other similar companies that will get wore down financially and have to sign away their ambitions and name to survive, just as others before them were forced to "join" the Monster family.

Jack

 

[Matt34]

I Have to admit I have strongly mixed feelings about the lawsuit being dropped. Part of me, a big part, is extemely happy for MMG. Yet another part sees it as no precident being set if MMG had went to court and won the case. That is a precident to help out the next small company and possibly prevent them from going through the same emotional and financial grief. As I see it, after this whole MMG thing ends, there may still be several other similar companies that will get wore down financially and have to sign away their ambitions and name to survive, just as others before them were forced to "join" the Monster family.

Jack

Well hopefully all of us here at Audioholics can help keep an eye on MC and make the public aware of their future antics. Maybe if we can bring enough public scrutiny to it they will not seek out such frivolous lawsuits.

 

[mtrycrafts]

IMO, MC is really opening themselves up for a good fraud case. In this case, fraud in the inducement- MC knew upfront that golf is a completely different field from audio cables; thus the USPTO would not support their claim of infringement. IOW their specious lawsuits are bullying and nothing more.

Nor is any of the other outfits that were bullied into signing a licensing agreement had anything to do with audio cables. MC is a big bully and a intimidating predator.

 

[pangritt]

Ahhhh, I think I see something here which could be a source of confusion, so let me clear it up right now....
Pangritt makes reference to a mark we applied for, that I didn't think was completely true, so I went back to our original applications and I think I can offer something constructive here....
Back when we were creating this, long before we had any idea that suits like this existed, we created our monster themed concept, named it, and applied for marks for that name, " monster mini golf".
As a backup plan, we applied for a variety of alternate names including "monster family entertainment centers", "monster mini golf" as a logo (NOT as text, but as a logo or image) and monster as an image, as reflected in our logo. (I think that may be the bone of contention, but to be clear, our registration as it pertained to the word monster alone, was for image/logo only, not the word, and we will happily abandon that app if that is what Mr Lee is so upset about)
If any of these alternates are the source of contention with MC, let me make a proactive move toward peace, and publically let MC know that we are ONLY interested in the "monster mini Golf" mark, as it is descriptive of our product.
If it is ANY of the alternate applications that are hanging MC up, let me officially declare that we will gladly abandon ALL other marks applied for, if MC will let us keep the "monster mini golf" mark and logo.
I may be off base here, but judging by what I just read, it sounds like it's not "monster mini golf" that they are specifically objecting to.

So what do you say guys, are we making progress?
Patrick

Patrick, you may realize, I'm only blogging on behalf of the company and so I cannot agree to or negotiate anything. I hope things to get worked and will make sure that your comments get to the right people.

 

[Cpt.America]

maybe a tad off topic, but i wonder what kind of affect we could have a a group, pleading to the likes of the poeple at places like best buy? I mean, isn't that were MC makes the majority of it's kills? Innocently ignorant people that really see no other choice than to buy what is stocked on the shelves next to the electronics they buy there? What if we got Monster off the shelves at just a couple of stores like this, in place of a better brand, I think that would make some real progress against this company.

how do we pleed to the CEOs of Best Buy?

 

[gene]

Patrick, you may realize, I'm only blogging on behalf of the company and so I cannot agree to or negotiate anything. I hope things to get worked and will make sure that your comments get to the right people.

Peter welcome to our forums and we are certainly happy for you to participate here.

I do have one question:

Do you work for Monster Cable or for the Social Security Administration or both? I feel its important that you disclose this since it seems you are speaking on behalf of Monster Cable but the link below shows you actually work on behalf of both. Thanks.

I assume this is you, if not, my apologies for the mistake:
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/8/18/b05

 

[jamie2112]

Here is a forum link to BB chat forums. I am getting ready to infiltrate the audio forum and spread some knowlage.....http://www.forums.bestbuy.com/bb/

 

[jinjuku]

Patrick, you may realize, I'm only blogging on behalf of the company and so I cannot agree to or negotiate anything. I hope things to get worked and will make sure that your comments get to the right people.

Who did you piss off @ MC to earn this particular job task? Like sending you out in front of an angry mob with a sling shot

Welcome to the forums Peter. Could you ask Noel Lee to not block the comments on his you tube videos?

 

[pangritt]

Peter welcome to our forums and we are certainly happy for you to participate here.

I do have one question:

Do you work for Monster Cable or for the Social Security Administration or both? I feel its important that you disclose this since it seems you are speaking on behalf of Monster Cable but the link below shows you actually work on behalf of both. Thanks.

I assume this is you, if not, my apologies for the mistake:
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/8/18/b05

Thank you for the welcome message.

In the past I have worked for the Social Security Administration as part of a regional management information team. Aside from some freelance work I have been working exclusively for Monster Cable since this past June.

 

[MatthewB.]

I think it would be better to whisper (or better still YELL) into Noel and his minions ears that with every lawsuit they have perputrated in the past couple years has brought upon them tons of bad publicity. Everything from suing a custome shop, childrens charity, Monsters Inc (Disney) and so on and so on. Every single time they do this, it generates a buzz all over the net and gets everyone all riled up and then we tell family and friends who then tell more family and friends and all Monster Cable is doing is shooting themself in the foot. Unless a company with direct correlation to speaker wire is calling itself Monster, i think Monster should just turn the other cheek.

Also someone should tell Noel to get off that damned Segway, he looks like a dork always riding on it. Kinda like Michael Jackson with mask and glove thing. certainly not needed and makes the owner/rider look like a clown.

 

[jamie2112]

Thank you for the welcome message.

In the past I have worked for the Social Security Administration as part of a regional management information team. Aside from some freelance work I have been working exclusively for Monster Cable since this past June.

Sorry about your luck.......lets hope it gets better. I am going to be straight about my complete sickening distain for your company and its buisness tactics. I don't like it at all. I hope this public uproar will actually do something this time around.

 

[pangritt]

I think it would be better to whisper (or better still YELL) into Noel and his minions ears that with every lawsuit they have perputrated in the past couple years has brought upon them tons of bad publicity. Everything from suing a custome shop, childrens charity, Monsters Inc (Disney) and so on and so on. Every single time they do this, it generates a buzz all over the net and gets everyone all riled up and then we tell family and friends who then tell more family and friends and all Monster Cable is doing is shooting themself in the foot. Unless a company with direct correlation to speaker wire is calling itself Monster, i think Monster should just turn the other cheek.

Also someone should tell Noel to get off that damned Segway, he looks like a dork always riding on it. Kinda like Michael Jackson with mask and glove thing. certainly not needed and makes the owner/rider look like a clown.

Disney and Monster actually have a good working relationship. You'll likely be hearing about a joint project between them soon. They've done a few things together in the past too.

As for Noel's use of a Segway, he is physically challenged. He needs it to get around. It isn't, as many people assume, some kind of fetish or affectation.