Blue Jeans Cable to Donate Sales Profits for Monster Mini Golf Lawsuit

[kpkelley]

That Monster mashing Lawyer is at it again.

Blue Jeans Cable to Donate Sales Profits for Monster Mini Golf Lawsuit
by Gene DellaSala — last modified December 05, 2008 07:30

Bluejeans
Kurt Denke of Blue Jeans Cable speaks out on the Monster Mini Golf Situation.


As the classic film Frankenstein teaches us, much can be accomplished by an angry band of villagers wielding torches and pitchforks--at least, when there is a monster on the loose. As those who have followed the story of Monster Mini Golf will already be well aware, there is a Monster in the audio/video cable industry's midst, and it, like the monsters of the big screen, requires a mass response. Well, okay, not one involving torches and pitchforks as such, but a mass response nonetheless.


Monster Mini Golf, a small franchise business owned by Christina Vitagliano of Providence, Rhode Island, has been sued in United States District Court by Monster Cable of Brisbane, California. The basis of the suit is that Monster Cable asserts that the use of the term "Monster" in Monster Mini Golf's trade name and marks infringes Monster Cable's various registered marks.


There has been so much editorializing on the merits -- or lack of merits -- of this suit that there is really very little more to say. Suffice it to say that we believe that Monster Mini Golf will, and must, win this suit. As we all know, regardless of the merits of a lawsuit, the burdens of litigation can be harsh. I personally spent a couple of decades in the practice of federal litigation, and it can be long, hard and costly; and I, like Ms. Vitagliano, have been threatened with meritless litigation by Monster Cable (for details, see Blue Jeans Cable Strikes Back). We at Blue Jeans Cable, though having no business affiliation of any kind with Monster Mini Golf, feel a deep sense of kinship and common cause with Ms. Vitagliano and her struggle to protect her business from predation.


Torches and pitchforks, however, will not do the job in this particular case. The battle here must be done by lawyers, and that costs money. To date, Ms. Vitagliano has incurred a legal bill running into six figures, and she can use all the help she can get to carry on the fight. We are working to aid the Monster Mini Golf defense in two ways.


First, Blue Jeans Cable will match contributions to Monster Mini Golf's defense fund, up to a total of one thousand dollars, made through > this page on our site <



Second, we are placing several products on a special Torches and Pitchforks" Promotion. We will donate, without limit, ten percent of our gross revenue from this promotion to Monster Mini Golf's legal defense. This promotion runs through December 15; if you need cables, have a look.


I have spoken at length with Ms. Vitagliano and she is a real fighter. I believe that if she can stay the course and fight the good fight, Monster Cable will lose this lawsuit. That loss will not only bring relief to Monster Mini Golf, but will put a powerful precedent in the hand of every owner of a trade name containing the word "Monster" to fight back against meritless trademark litigation. Too many people cave in to these threats; let's do what we can to encourage Ms. Vitagliano to carry on.


Kurt Denke

[gearyt]

[Warjack Prime]

Wow! If all this is true I feel ashamed for even owning any Monster Cable products.

[kpkelley]

Originally Posted by Warjack Prime

Wow! If all this is true I feel ashamed for even owning any Monster Cable products.

It's true and you should.

[Blu-Dog]

Originally Posted by kpkelley

That Monster mashing Lawyer is at it again.

I took a look at the letter he wrote in response to Monster's attack on Blue Jeans Cable.

I found two interesting trends:

1. During his response, he would often insert a pimp-slap comment of pure contempt, just to keep things interesting.
2. At the end of the letter, his "bring it on" challenge was fun, but unnecessary; he had already delivered a complete, down-home, Lawd-call-the-Sheriff ass-whoopin to the Monster team.

To date, I have purchased some banana pins, and one very overpriced HDMI cable, from Monster.

Never again will I purchase a Monster product.

[allstar780]

well i've been looking for a slightly longer sub cable... i guess i'll go measure and order me up some BJC

[richteer]

It's this kind of bullshit from Monster (what an appropriate name considering their behaviour, although perhaps "Bully" would have been better) that stopped me from buying one of their power conditioners (I bought a Furman instead). Monster will never see another penny of my cash.

[Cinema Jaguar]

It's funny in a sad way is it not? That these corporation(s) can bring a lawsuit on anyone they "claim" uses a name or adjective similar to theirs even if in this case that (monster cable) does not in the technical sense own the word "monster".

Imagine your shopping for a costume at or near halloween and you said to your family or friend "yes,that is a nice monster makeup kit" and a lawyer from monster cable was there and called the company and monstercable decided to put a lawsuit on you/family and the store?

This is the kind of thing which could or possibly occur if blue jeans cable and monster golf lose and do not win the case.

[DetroitSportsFan]

Classy move by Blue Jeans.

[Rob71]

Originally Posted by Cinema Jaguar

It's funny in a sad way is it not? That these corporation(s) can bring a lawsuit on anyone they "claim" uses a name or adjective similar to theirs even if in this case that (monster cable) does not in the technical sense own the word "monster".

Imagine your shopping for a costume at or near halloween and you said to your family or friend "yes,that is a nice monster makeup kit" and a lawyer from monster cable was there and called the company and monstercable decided to put a lawsuit on you/family and the store?

This is the kind of thing which could or possibly occur if blue jeans cable and monster golf lose and do not win the case.

Or imagine your the Chicago Bears and your nickname is "The Monsters Of The Midway". And no, this isn't a joke.

http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/05/26...-golf-company/

[cartman781]

Serously, Monster Cable must have huge balls to match their Monster sized head

[Driver_King]

Poor Monster.

[guitarist155]

well that's the final straw with monster for me, not that i buy anything from them now nor was i planing to, but now i won't even look at their stuff and i will make sure friends in the industry know as well

[Driver_King]

How about all the other companies Monster has sued for trademark infringement and put out of business? They even sued Disney for the name "Monster Inc." because they said it confuses the general public about Monster Cables.

[BoschRock]

I can't believe Monster Cables. I don't believe any reasonable person would confuse Monster Mini-Golf with Monster Cables.

Furthermore, why not go after Monster.com or Monster Energy Drink? Oh, yeah, because they're not mom-and-pop shops and would laugh at you--that's why.

GRRR... I hate Monster Cables.

[richteer]

Originally Posted by BoschRock

Furthermore, why not go after Monster.com or Monster Energy Drink? Oh, yeah, because they're not mom-and-pop shops and would laugh at you--that's why.

Actually, they did go after monster.com, hence the link to Monster Cable on monster.com.

But agreed: Monster Cable are a bunch of greedy fsckheads.

[pmac]

Originally Posted by Warjack Prime

Wow! If all this is true I feel ashamed for even owning any Monster Cable products.

Ditto

Originally Posted by allstar780

well i've been looking for a slightly longer sub cable... i guess i'll go measure and order me up some BJC

That is who I use now for my last several cables +1

Originally Posted by richteer

It's this kind of bullshit from Monster (what an appropriate name considering their behaviour, although perhaps "Bully" would have been better) that stopped me from buying one of their power conditioners (I bought a Furman instead). Monster will never see another penny of my cash.

I was looking at power conditioners too...Monster is off my short list.

Originally Posted by DetroitSportsFan

Classy move by Blue Jeans.

+1 BJC FTW

EDIT: Yes I am aware this is a very old thread...Reading one thread lead me to another etc.

[repete66211]

That's it, I'm replacing my Monster sub cable--my only Monster product--with one from Blue Jeans.

Although, to be fair, they did come to an agreement.

[Penitus]

I have Blue Jean Cable HDMI cables and looooooove them.

I know it might be in my head, but I think they're slightly ahead of monoprice.com's.

Down with monster cable.

[Steve]

This is awesome. I may switch my business to BJC from monoprice in the future just because of this.