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Monster Cables Pushes Around the Wrong Small Company

Posted by Zonk on from the keeps-the-electricity-demons-out dept.

Alien54 writes "Audioholics has a fun read regarding a recent legal dustup involving Monster Cables. The well-known (some might say notorious) cabling company sent a cease and desist letter to Blue Jeans Cable over a supposed patent violation. What the Monster folks couldn't have known was that Blue Jeans president Kurt Denke used to be a lawyer. His response is as humorous as it is thorough. ' Let me begin by stating, without equivocation, that I have no interest whatsoever in infringing upon any intellectual property belonging to Monster Cable. Indeed, the less my customers think my products resemble Monster's, in form or in function, the better ... If there is more than one such connector design in actual use by Monster Cable as to which appropriation of trade dress is alleged, of course, I will require this information for each and every such design. On the basis of what I have seen, both in the USPTO documents you have sent and the actual appearance of Monster Cable connectors which I have observed in use in commerce, it does not appear to me that Monster Cable is in a position to advance a nonfrivolous claim for infringement of these marks.'"

18 of 572 comments (clear)

  1. Monster cable has been taking advantage... by Futurepower(R) · · Score: 5, Informative

    In my opinion, Monster cable has been taking advantage of the lack of technical knowledge of the general public to convince people to buy EXTREMELY expensive cables, when much cheaper cables would provide equal performance.

    Performance of audio systems is not heavily affected by cables, if only the size of the wires is adequate.

    1. Re:Monster cable has been taking advantage... by CRCulver · · Score: 5, Informative

      They might have had some (quickly rebutted) case in the analogue era, but with the digital era they are just outright cheating customers. You can get an HDMI cable for as low as 15 cents, but Monster continues to charge up towards $100 for theirs. Obviously with digital any cable is as good as another, because the system has error correction built into it and is not susceptible to distortion from nearby wiring.

      Still, on Usenet I've seen people who, probably because they already "invested" thousands of dollars in Monster Cables, placed so much trust in the company that they brought out arcane arguments that, yes, Monster digital interconnects are better than anything else on the market. After all, can't you hear how "brighter" and "warmer" the sound is once you've blown money on the interconnects?

    2. Re:Monster cable has been taking advantage... by peipas · · Score: 3, Informative

      EXTREMELY expensive cables That is 100% correct. I bought a spool of 12 gauge speaker wire from Lowes for pennies on the dollar spent on Monster cable.

      There is one Monster product, however, that was worth the purchase. I sought an FM modulator and while none that I tried had any problems with reception, the several I tried before the Monster unit had awful, flat sound quality. In this case the premium was for a superior product, not just a name.
    3. Re:Monster cable has been taking advantage... by Ariastis · · Score: 5, Informative

      No, they did it with a coat hanger (At the consumerist)

    4. Re:Monster cable has been taking advantage... by TheRealFixer · · Score: 4, Informative

      Pretty much. Here's a good article that summarizes the state of "premium" cables.

      http://www.electronichouse.com/article/the_truth_about_high_end_cables/C29

    5. Re:Monster cable has been taking advantage... by hudsonhawk · · Score: 5, Informative

      No, the Consumerist did no such thing. If you read the article, all the Consumerist did, in fact, was quote a 4 year old post by a random dude on an internet forum.

      That's hardly what I would call a reliable source of information, and yet people continue to perpetuate the mean as truth because it appeals to their pre-existing notions.

    6. Re:Monster cable has been taking advantage... by dmd53 · · Score: 3, Informative

      I remember that! I've just spent the last semester studying the properties of materials affecting conductivity, and my main conclusion has been... copper is pretty darn good for the price. Sure, there are some fancy things you can do like doping it with silver and the like, but the addition of most things will actually raise the resistivity of the alloy. For good hi-fi, all you need is pure copper, and I'd be very surprised if Monster has a patent on that.

      By the way, this isn't the first time Monster Cables has used frivolous lawsuits to their advantage-- they also have a habit of suing anyone with the word "Monster" in their name:

      http://www.tabberone.com/Trademarks/HallOfShame/MonsterCable/MonsterCable.shtml

    7. Re:Monster cable has been taking advantage... by Sandbags · · Score: 4, Informative

      Equal performance is subject to debate. True, a simple increase in cable guage provides better signal, but filtering of external interference, Monster does that a bit better than their competitors. Is it worth it though? If you install properly sized cables and route them away from sources of interference, it's no big deal.

      Now, that's really for analog signals... As for digital, it's not really a concern. A $15 HDMI or DVI cable is just as good as a $85 HDMI cable, assuming they're both rated for the same frequency response and distance (HDMI has several classifications, and it CAN make a difference).

      As for fiber cables, light is light. A thicker, stronger shell simply helps protect you from over bending the cable and refracting the beam, but it adds no shielding or signal quality improvement of any kind, and in fact, the fiber core itself must be a very specific size in microns. Changing this size like you do in ordinary cables is not optional.

      If you have a high end system, increasing cable thickness, adding better cable contacts, and improving shielding can be important, and can improve audio and video quality. On the other hand, unless you're running cables across power lines, very close to speakers, close to tube TVs, or over long distances, Monster offers no "discernable" differences vs their half priced competitors.

      That said never use the cheap shit cables that actually come in the box. Allways buy quality replacements, and ensure the connectors are made from materials that don't corrode (i.e. not copper, silver, or aluminum) gold contacts are great, platinum is not worth the expense. In most cases you'll need new cables anyway just to make the distance between devices as 3' is almost never enough, but don't buy cheap unshielded cables ever. Allways look for decent stuff.

      When buying a stereo or speakers, look to buy models that support screw on connections or tightening rings for the speaker wire. The cheap little clip style slots, like you typically find on the back of cheaper speakers and all-in-one stereo units do not provide a sufficient contact surface for 100 watt and higher outputs.

      As for filtering, modern home theater equipment is more computer than TV or stereo, and this stuff is VERY sensitive to low quality poewr. A surge protector is WORTHLESS! You need power filtration with real time voltage regulation. Monster does a good job providing very high quality filtering systems for as little as $200-300. If you have high def, a suround sound stereo, a PS3 or xbox360, keep this in mind. 97% of all electronic failure is the result of low or inconsitent power. Surge protectors only stop massive oversurges (typically over 160 volts). Damage to computer electronics cn occur at voltage below 104 or above 116. Do your lights ever flicker in your house? Especially when your AC turns on or when your fridge kicks in? If so, GO BUY A POWER FILTER for every digital device in your house!!!

      --
      There is no contest in life for which the unprepared have the advantage.
  2. Summary Missed Best Paragraph by iamhigh · · Score: 3, Informative
    I like this one...

    Further, if any of these patents or trademarks has been licensed to any entity, please provide me with copies of the licensing agreements. I assume that Monster Cable International, Ltd., in Bermuda, listed on these patents, is an IP holding company and that Monster Cable's principal US entity pays licensing fees to the Bermuda corporation in order to shift income out of the United States and thereby avoid paying United States federal income tax on those portions of its income; my request for these licensing agreements is specifically intended to include any licensing agreements, including those with closely related or sham entities, within or without the Monster Cable "family," and without regard to whether those licensing agreements are sham transactions for tax shelter purposes only or whether they are bona fide arm's-length transactions.
    --
    No comprende? Let me type that a little slower for you...
  3. Re:Monster Cable versus wire coat hangers by hudsonhawk · · Score: 5, Informative

    Did you in fact read the article you're posting?

    The Consumerist did no such comparison. Rather, a reader sent them a 4 year old post from a random dude on another forum, which the Consumerist quoted and posted, turning it into a popular Slashdot meme.

    Groupthink at work, gotta love it. The burden of proof is always non-existent when it backs up your pre-existing notions of truth.

  4. Re:From TFA by MightyMartian · · Score: 3, Informative

    I don't think he necessarily wants to go to court. The reason he's warning them of both his experience and the near-total lack of any reasonable claim against him is so that they walk away and stop bothering him. I'm fairly certain they will do that. They're not interested in a fight, only in making competitors cower and pay them money. It's rather classic bully behavior, but all bullies, big or small, will tend to stay away from anything that looks even remotely like an even match, or worse, one where they're bound to lose.

    What will piss them off, of course, is that the letter has been made public. But that's his perogative.

    --
    The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
  5. Re:Uhm.... by Detritus · · Score: 4, Informative

    Any patents held by RCA would have expired many decades ago. They invented the connector in the 1930s.

    --
    Mea navis aericumbens anguillis abundat
  6. Re:I'll be sure to .. by ivan256 · · Score: 4, Informative

    Their prices on long lengths of HDMI cables are actually downright reasonable. $38 for 24 gague, 50-feet in your choice of color and connector? That's better than Monoprice...

  7. Good cheap cables... by xTK-421x · · Score: 4, Informative

    Just in case anyone doesn't know of them, Monoprice has been my cabling place for years. Good prices, reasonable shipping.

    --
    "TK-421, why aren't you at your post?"
  8. Re:Quality matters for some high-speed cables. by Lumpy · · Score: 3, Informative

    Actually high end cables dont have gold but nickel.

    Gold plated ends are a sham, the gold wears through so fast (because it's barely plated on to begin with) it's not funny and the brass underneath it looks like gold so you dont know. The real high end stuff are solid nickel connections.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  9. Re:The word "owned" comes to mind by vwjeff · · Score: 5, Informative

    "I assume that Monster Cable International, Ltd., in Bermuda, listed on these patents, is an IP holding company and that Monster Cable's principal US entity pays licensing fees to the Bermuda corporation in order to shift income out of the United States and thereby avoid paying United States federal income tax on those portions of its income;..."

    Wonderful. Monster Cable hates America!!!!

  10. Re:The word "owned" comes to mind by jedidiah · · Score: 5, Informative

    When considering Tax issues, just keep in mind this little nugget of trivia...

    Tax law is the only area of the law where a lawyer is expected to obtain
    a speciality post doctorate degree (that is another advanced degree above
    and beyond the usual JD) just so that you can be considered qualified to
    START practicing in it.

    --
    A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
  11. Re:The word "owned" comes to mind by Achromatic1978 · · Score: 5, Informative
    You missed his point - indeed, it took me a while to realize. There is nothing wrong with it, it is legal if it meets the definition of a bona fide arms-length setup.

    But, but it wasn't Monster Cable International, Ltd, that issued him with the letter and claim. It was Monster in the US, so keen to litigate that they did something they had no onus to do ("on behalf of") - they completely forgot that their corporate shell game had given the patents to a company in Bermuda, and that they had no right to claim patent infringement when they weren't the patent owners.

    More clear now?

    "That, that's not ours! We don't have to pay tax on it! Oh, wait, you're using this thing of ... uh ... not ours ... and we ... uh ... they ... can't have that!"