Tradmarking / Greed run amok - gee, where have we seen this Monster before?

[JohnR]

Weak, I hate &^#$ like this, maybe we need to have S-B Monster Golf Night and support these people (I'm golfin' with the Bombas).

By Dan Jaehnig
Anchorman
Published: December 5, 2008
The legal battle over a company’s name has taken a new turn.
Monster Mini Golf in Seekonk is one of 23 franchises nationwide owned by Christine Vitagliano and her husband, who are now fighting for the name “monster” in Monster Mini Golf.
“They don’t want us using the word monster anymore,” says Vitagliano.


Monster Cable Products Inc. of California has taken on dozens of companies who have used “monster” in their names or products. The company challenged the green monster seats at Fenway Park in what critics call a strong-arm approach.


“Monster is not a company that frivolously uses litigation against other businesses. In fact, we consider lawsuits to be a last resort option. Unfortunately, as in the case of Monster Mini Golf, our fair and reasonable offer for the company to continue using our trademark under a license was refused,“ said Daniel Graham, of Monster Cable, in a statement.


In most cases the company works out a settlement or a licensing agreement. In an Internet search, NBC 10 found dozens of companies or products using the word “monster” in their names.
The Vitaglianos said they have already spent $100,000 and that they don’t have a court date.


All of the past settlement cases have included a gag order, but NBC 10 will try to report on any developments in the case.