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Apple De-Certifies Monster Cables After Lawsuit Against Beats

An anonymous reader writes: Since 2005, Monster cables have been licensed under Apple's "Made For iDevice" program, which lets cable manufacturers put a logo on their product signifying they work with Apple products. Now, Apple has revoked that certification. In January of this year, Monster sued Beats, accusing its founders of fraud. Beats was acquired by Apple in 2014, and Monster is accusing Apple of bullying them by terminating the licensing deal. Monster's general counsel said the move would "significantly disrupt Monster's business and that the two companies had worked well for years, with Monster paying Apple more than $12 million in licensing fees since 2008."

13 of 288 comments (clear)

  1. So, a good move then by AikonMGB · · Score: 4, Informative

    Monster's general counsel said the move would "significantly disrupt Monster's business and that the two companies had worked well for years, with Monster paying Apple more than $12 million in licensing fees since 2008."

    So, this is a philanthropic move from Apple, then. Monster are bottom-feeders that prey on the naive, and the world would be a better place without them.

    1. Re:So, a good move then by thaylin · · Score: 2, Informative

      But then again so is apple.

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  2. Poor little monster by Rigel47 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Getting pushed around? Not used to having to deal with someone that can bite back? Keep in mind this is the company that has a track record of attacking any and all start-up cable and connector makers.

    This is a great read - a small-time cable maker basically telling monster suck it after they sent their default "infringement" claim. http://www.bluejeanscable.com/...

  3. Re:does marketing hype matter? by QuasiSteve · · Score: 5, Informative

    These programs tend to go well beyond just a sticker, though. If you're not part of this program, you just won't be listed in the store, or carried in Apple's physical stores. If you're not 'certified' for Apple devices, your product won't be in the "Apple Accessories" aisle at other retailers. And if you're not part of the MFi project, then at least in theory Apple could simply block your accessory from working at the lightning interface level.

  4. Re: Monster Business School by rfengr · · Score: 4, Informative

    To extent; a rusty coat hanger can't carry a 10 GBPs serial link like a coaxial cable. It's digital, but signal integrity is still an issue.

  5. Re:Monster Business School by KozmoStevnNaut · · Score: 4, Informative

    There are still plenty of analog connections around. Headphone jacks, RCA outputs and so on. None of them sound any better through Monster cables than through cheap dollar store cables, and they never did.

    http://archimago.blogspot.ca/2...

    Note that by far the largest difference was stereo crosstalk, and that has a lot more to do with cable geometry than with price or "quality". You can make any cable measure exceedingly low crosstalk by physically separating the wires, but no one can head crosstalk at -84dB anyway, so it's pointless.

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  6. Re: Monster Business School by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    What you get is packet loss, which either results in buffering or artifacts. An example is 'snow' on faulty HDMI cables. So there's still a case for a good quality cable that's not going to be dropping data because it's sitting on the edge of what quality is acceptable.

    Where some manufactures enter the realm of fantasy is when they start to say things like the colours will look better. They won't. If the all the data is getting through a $10 and $3000 cable will look alike.

  7. Re:does marketing hype matter? by drinkypoo · · Score: 3, Informative

    I only really worry about not using knock off cables/adapters when it's connected to 110 volt power or higher

    That's misguided AF. Back in the olden days when HDDs were stupid I had an RLL disk literally burn (with black smoke and scorches, and probably flames too) a trace off its PCB when the spindle stuck (SEIZEGATE FTW)

    Low voltages are perfectly capable of starting fires.

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  8. Re:E tu, Brute? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Monster sued beats before it was owned by apple

    You keep asserting things as facts which actually aren't:

    In January of this year, Monster sued Beats, accusing its founders of fraud. Beats was acquired by Apple in 2014

    So, if they filed suit in January, they sure as hell didn't sue Beats before it was owned by Apple.

    You are entitled to your own opinions, but not your own facts.

    Basically you're full of shit, and keep claiming things as facts which are absolutely not.

    Do you work for Monster? Or are you just a moron on the internet who is too fucking lazy to read the damned articles?

  9. Re:does marketing hype matter? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    They aren't as standard as you think. The wiring for in-cord volume controls is reversed from normal, so there's a version for Apple products and a version for everyone else.

  10. Re:Monster Business School by TheGratefulNet · · Score: 1, Informative

    'gold' is often such a micro thin layer that it simply flakes off and makes things WORSE than they were before.

    simple nickel plating is all you need. it does not flake off, it does not rust and does not tarnish very much. its cheap and it can be well made IF you use non-china designed parts. I did not say to avoid parts made in china (all parts in this type are from china) but if its switchcraft or neutrik or some truely responsible company they will ensure the metal coating is done properly. if its a china company making their own stuff under their own name, all bets are off. I have yet to see one china-designed connector last even 1/10 as long as a proper name-brand part that was sold thru proper channels (mouser, digikey, etc).

    when I see gold, I usually go the other way since 99% of the time, its for looks only. I build audio gear (diy style) and the china parts I've used have always backfired on me. even very solid looking jacks have gold flaking off in weeks of use.

    so, folks, don't be fooled by gold (lol). its usually a sign that they value looks and your one sale more than anything else.

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  11. Re:Monster Business School by TheGratefulNet · · Score: 3, Informative

    I'm not a fan of MC, but I will say this: while the MC's are overpriced at least the shielding is reasonable. hum can be a problem with poor shielding and the MC's that I used to use, years ago (car audio ones with foil wrap) were quite good for keeping hum low. dollar store cables have the thinnest shielding and usually poor molding so they break easy.

    once you get to minimum quality standards, there's little diff other than being able to see numbers change in high priced test gear. but dollar store is really not what you want to compare anything to. even monster is better than that ;)

    their prices are outrageous but the quality is acceptable. not worth the money but that's not the same as saying that they are made like dollar store cables. they definitely are not.

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  12. Re:who are the quality PC makers? by lgw · · Score: 1, Informative

    Geeks build their own PCs. Non-geeks have plenty of websites other than /. to read, no need to come here.

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