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Blue Jeans Strikes Back at Bully Monster Cable

audioholics.com — Not long ago weMonster Cable issued a cease and desist letter designed to drive Blue Jeans Cable out of business. Little did the lawyer drones over at Monster know that Kurt Denke, the president of Blue Jeans was, in a former life, a lawyer by trade. Oops! Someone pushed around the wrong "small" company!

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  • spiceasy, on 04/15/2008, -158/+14a long long read... but awesome. the more i read about monster, the more i dislike them. they do make good cables however.
    • ScoobyG, on 04/15/2008, -4/+178Their cables are no worse or better than the competition. They're simply outrageously overpriced.
      • onlyclave, on 04/15/2008, -10/+17All cables are marked up 80%. They always have been.
        • CanadaMan87, on 04/15/2008, -1/+22I work at a retailer that sells Monster, and they are marked up a lot higher than 80%.
      • MacEnvy, on 04/15/2008, -9/+32To be fair, they USED to make very good cables ... back when the connections were analog and high quality materials and design mattered. Now that almost all of our audio and video connections are digital, they are simply highly overpriced and no better than anyone else. That didn't USED to be the case though.
      • xtraa, on 04/15/2008, -0/+9Not any longer!

        Now you can hear the bad karma contaminated sound through monster cables. So better stay away from it and buy another brand.

      • Atomic05, on 04/16/2008, -0/+2Its partly a marketing tactic too. Uneducated consumers often believe that the higher priced item is superior regardless of its actual performance.

        Think about it, when was the last time you bought Duracell batteries over Rayovac because you thought they were better?
    • jopjop, on 04/15/2008, -4/+107I prefer to use coathangers...

      http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/03/audiophiles-can ...
      • theOster, on 04/16/2008, -0/+3i thought this would have been posted earlier. i rigged up a couple of cabinet speakers with a severed extension cord to see if the speakers worked. i haven't gotten round to changing them. (i can't tell much diff b/t those and my klipsch 5.1s)
    • NoCt1, on 04/15/2008, -19/+4true.. They are made at the same factory as most other cbles they just get branded and shipped out.. If you want a cable for the brand name and not really because of hey its an amazing quality.. Pear cables and python cables are a really good name to drop down there.. Pythons are pretty cheap and to me server their purpose better.. only draw back.. All the cables are orange.
      • Jaliyl, on 04/15/2008, -10/+17 digg me down
        • guyincognitoo, on 04/15/2008, -3/+6I dug you up, I'm such a rebel.
      • chaosium, on 04/15/2008, -1/+2Isn't Pear the 10,000$ "danceable" cable?
        • theOster, on 04/16/2008, -2/+2thank you for putting the dollar sign at the end LIKE WE SAY IT. i've been doing this for a while and i'm trying to push its popularity.
        • Dedpoet, on 04/18/2008, -0/+0¿ Would you do well in Mexico? I think not.
    • Jaliyl, on 04/15/2008, -7/+59monoprice.com
      • ayeroxor, on 04/15/2008, -65/+2Since that URL has nothing to do with your post's parent post, I'm going to assume it's spam, bury you, report you, and block you.
        • davdev, on 04/15/2008, -0/+39He's giving a link to a site that sells audio cables. It is relevant.
        • smacksaw, on 04/15/2008, -2/+29I am so ***** tired of people saying "I'm going to block you"...just ***** block him and keep it to yourself. It's like the old usenet days when people used "killfile" as a verb, like I AM GOING TO ***** KILL(file) YOU! Pussies. Killfile? Just say blocklist.

          I don't care that you're blocking him, but you are a supreme *****. Should I block you? No. Because you might say something interesting someday and I'm willing to take that chance. Will you block me for calling you out? It depends on how fragile your ego is. But in the end, like Jaliyl1, I don't care...and neither does anyone else.

          Assume makes and ass out of you and me...though in this case, more you than me. I sometimes enjoy being an ass...like right now!
          • Devotia, on 04/15/2008, -1/+18I'm going to reply to you.
          • ayeroxor, on 04/15/2008, -19/+1i'm blocking you.

            /and killfiling you.
          • cawpin, on 04/15/2008, -1/+15smacksaw - You are dugg for being a proper ass when the situation called for it.
          • musicbear, on 04/15/2008, -5/+3Maybe there will be a slap fight too! Wow... wish I had that much time to worry about an anonymous person's post on f'ing Digg.
        • ayeroxor, on 04/15/2008, -21/+1He's comment abusing. He replied to "a long long read... but awesome. the more i read about monster, the more i dislike them. they do make good cables however." with a URL.

          How is a URL *possibly remotely* relevant to the first post's opinion about whether or not the cables are good or bad?

          Bury me if you're confused as to how this whole "comment tree" thing works, but you're encouraging people to reply to the first post just to get their post higher on the page. Is that really what you want? A bunch of replies to the first post that are not at all related to each other?
          • DangerMouse9, on 04/15/2008, -1/+15Are you trying to be a lawyer or did someone just ***** in your Cheerios this morning?

            Seriously, you don't need to give us the friggin' internet norm rules. We don't need to know every time someone doesn't do what you think should be done so you feel the need to tell us. You're not a ***** celebrity and this isn't the National Enquirer, so no one gives a ***** what you do nor do they want to hear about it.
          • strictnein, on 04/15/2008, -0/+7The proper response to any article about Monster Cables is a link to Monoprice.com.
            This is accepted here. Just like replying to any article about the RIAA or MPAA with a short post of "***** THE **AA".
          • ayeroxor, on 04/15/2008, -8/+1Okay, so basically, *****, you and all your other groupie noob retards fall under the "confused as to how the whole 'comment tree' thing works" category. Thanks for clarifying that.

            ps. Blocked and buried.
          • boombye, on 04/15/2008, -0/+1His reply was a link to a place that sells better cables because the main poster said that they do make some good cables, which he got buried for, and was then given a link to a place where he can get better cables. It was relevant, and none of your posts were, so you're being buried and blocked ayeroxor..
          • smacksaw, on 04/16/2008, -0/+1I propose that we come up with a new word for when Diggers block and bury someone because their feelings are hurt or they don't understand the point of a website where they read people's comments:

            ayeroxoring. As in "Your comment made me cry and I am going to ayeroxor you."
        • Jaliyl, on 04/15/2008, -0/+9Wow, someones got a stick up their ass. If it makes you feel any better I meant to reply to ScoobyG's reply, my mistake.
      • poopc4, on 04/15/2008, -3/+19monoprice has great cables at equally great prices. any true digg member should be familiar with them. for your ignorance i have dugg you down and should report you but i won't be such an idiot as oyu, who knows in the future you might post something even more idiotically funny.
        • acumenprobitas, on 04/15/2008, -1/+6And if you live close, you can go pick the cables up from their warehouse and avoid shipping charges :)
        • freshyill, on 04/15/2008, -0/+5Not an option for me, but that makes me like the company even more!
      • freshyill, on 04/15/2008, -0/+9I love monoprice. I've got an order in with them right now.

        It didn't take a genius to come up with a 1 foot ethernet cable to go between my router and cable modem. But I think it might have taken one to sell it for forty-eight cents.
    • cphelps, on 04/15/2008, -3/+5Yes, they're cables are just as "good" as any other piece of wiring you can find to hook up electronics. No more or No less good.
    • Spuy767, on 04/15/2008, -1/+18I love it when people spend outrageous sums of money on cables that carry digital data, i.e. Toslink or HDMI. Analog cable stands to gain a very small bit of clarity from high quality cable, but if a digital cable meets spec, and costs 1$, it will perform just as good as a cable that costs 20$. Monster was built around the faux premium market. It reminds me of Grey Goose vodka. GG used to cost about half as much, and it sold poorly. It wasn't until they doubled the price and introduced the illusion of a premium product, albiet GG is a good vodka, that sales started to take off.
      • texpundit, on 04/15/2008, -12/+2The thing is: some of us still have to deal with analog signal every day (like the PA system for the conference room at my work). In such cases, the quality of shielding on Monster cables made an actual, audible difference. There are tons of problems with interference in that room (the whole floor of the building is a huge RF trap) and regular cables just couldn't cut it. Plus, I bought my Monster mic cables from Musician's Friend, which offered a huge discount over retail.

        On digital, I'll agree with you: huge waste of cash. On analog, though, Monster *does* offer a product that tends to be superior to most competitors.
        • Spuy767, on 04/15/2008, -0/+8I just said that on analogue cables it makes a difference, did you read my comment? I work in audio as well.
        • chaosium, on 04/15/2008, -0/+3"he quality of shielding on Monster cables made an actual, audible difference"

          You can buy better-shielded cables on Monoprice for a small fraction of the price.

          It's not "monster or radio shack bottom-end", you know.
      • smacksaw, on 04/15/2008, -7/+6Grey Goose is excellent at either price.
        • carabou, on 04/16/2008, -0/+1GG is good, but i would rather sip on some Stoli or even Kettle One.
    • DontGiveADamn, on 04/15/2008, -0/+16The only audio cable I've ever have fail was a Monster cable. I felt bad throwing it out, it looked so good.
      • strictnein, on 04/15/2008, -0/+4Actually, now that you mention it, the only cables I've had fail were Monster as well.
        The Monster PS2 component cable and two S-Video cables. I got them at cost so I didn't care a whole lot, but still.
        • wendelgee2, on 04/15/2008, -0/+4Hey. Me too! How the hell does a cable that thick "fail" anyway?
          • chaosium, on 04/15/2008, -0/+3Poor connectors, the illusion of "lifetime replacement" when no one ever sends it in, just like the rebate racket.
          • strictnein, on 04/15/2008, -0/+3I often wondered that. The thing weighed a ton too.
    • EarlOfLade, on 04/15/2008, -2/+28Monster cables are bought by monster idiots who are too dumb to understand physics.
      • twistymcgee, on 04/15/2008, -7/+4I wouldn't go that far. I think it's the fact that big electronics stores have sales people who are supposed to convince you that you need monster cables. You should do your research but the sales people aren't helping. Understanding physics isn't something that everyone is going to do, but there are lots of resources that will point you in the right direction.
        • divrekku, on 04/15/2008, -4/+2physics != smart purchases. Sorry dude. The two do not apply to each other.

          Unless you're buying a Flux Capacitor, in which case you should probably read up on your old high school physics textbook.
        • griz, on 04/15/2008, -0/+4Overpriced cables are the way that big box retailers make their money. They sell the TV at cost and then sell you on the accessory crap at a huge markup that many people fall for. They figure they do need the cable and since they are getting a "deal" on the TV, they may as well buy it.
    • futureb, on 04/15/2008, -6/+11see, i am a lawyer, and i think this letter is pretty ridiculous. first, he says way too much. the patent attorneys for monster could care less what this guy thinks about whether his own products infringe (unless he admits they infringe), so what he is saying in this letter will only give them ammunition in the future (like in a deposition). the reason monster sent the first letter is to make him aware of the patents and start running the clock on damages. he needs to get a REAL patent attorney to evaluate these claims & offer him an opinion on whether or not his products infringe. i don't see any reason why it matters to him whether monster's products embody the patents. i also don't see any reason that he would even bring up the validity of the patents in a letter like this.

      to be honest, what this letter looks like to me is a lawyer (who doesn't know what he is talking about) shooting his mouth off for about 3 pages. so you went to Penn Law school? so what dude? and you did...hmmm...insurance litigation and plaintiffs work? and that would qualify you to evaluate a patent claim how exactly?

      i think he only allowed this to be published to get a little free pub for his small company.
      • Bleue, on 04/15/2008, -5/+1I was about to post something similar. Patent attorney's typically answer such a claim by stating that they received and are evaluating the claim but require more information period. If there were some conflicting patents there they may have been mention of it, but most likely this would have come in a subsequent correspondence should it prove necessary.

        Furthermore, a cursory examination of the claim shows that monster may have a case here, though whether they would be justified in pursuing it is another matter entirely.

        Of course this sort of story is just tailor made for digg to jump on and bash monster with, that much is no surprise, but the style and nature of the letter reminds me more of internet forum style oneupmanship, usually exposed as being from a less than qualified source if the matter is investigated at all, than a proper legal rebuttal.

        It'll be interesting to note monster's response, because i feel this case could be as damaging to the cause of enforcing ridiculous patents as jamie thomas's case was to file sharers (and that would be bad). Let's hope monster drops it.
      • EricAnderton, on 04/15/2008, -0/+2I only wish I could've seen Monster's letter.

        Sadly you're right. As much as I want to believe that rebutting a (potentially) ludicrous claim like this is as simple as calling "BS" for three pages, it's not. Hell, it doesn't even work for non-legal stuff - arguments are only good for more arguments. You need arbitration for a good compromise and a higher ethical/moral power (judge) to decide a victor.

        Let's assume for a moment that this is an attack by Monster, and the claims are flimsy and clouded by nondisclosure. The bottom line there still remains the same: Monster wants Blue Jean out of the way. To accomplish that, they don't have to win in court, they just have to cost Blue Jean a lot of money defending themselves. Just circle the siege engines and starve out the keep.
        • Spuy767, on 04/15/2008, -0/+3I don't know, I once had an Ex who tried to Sue me for damage to her car that I allegedly caused, and when I got the letter from her lawyer I pretty much laced into him and I never heard about it again. Lawyers fear people who know their rights, and will more often than not turn tail if they don't think it will be an open and shut case.
    • EricAnderton, on 04/15/2008, -0/+4Monter Cable sells insultingly overpriced cables. We're talking about $15 for a pint of beer, or $10 for a gallon of gasoline, kind of overpriced.

      The only thing that they do that others don't is produce cables with a slightly oversized coupling for that extra tight fit with your equipment. While this strategy makes for rock-solid connections, it also stresses the springs/metal/contacts on your gear, making it harder to connect with *standard and compliant* connectors from other brands.
    • rodelero2, on 04/15/2008, -1/+1monster cables are a piece of *****.
  • YodaJones, on 04/15/2008, -5/+339Mr. Kurt Denke, sir you are my new hero!
    • davidsmero, on 04/15/2008, -3/+18A true gentlemen and scholar.
      • pixelate, on 04/15/2008, -11/+2Guess it doesn't take one to know one.
    • pat25fire, on 04/15/2008, -2/+9We need more people like him.
      • intent, on 04/15/2008, -1/+8more lawyers?
        • bradleyland, on 04/15/2008, -0/+19More lawyers with principles and ethics that make sense.
          • zaii7, on 04/15/2008, -0/+2Finding a good lawyer is like finding an honest mechanic.
            Needle in a haystack
    • threepio, on 04/15/2008, -5/+3Doesn't take much, does it?
    • BoneStamp, on 04/15/2008, -0/+16The last 7 paragraphs are the best... my favorite: "Not only am I unintimidated by litigation; I sometimes rather miss it." - Kurt Denke
      • AnotherBrian, on 04/16/2008, -0/+2My favorite was
        "Indeed, the less my customers think my products resemble Monster's, in form or in function, the better."
        That sentence was made of 100% pure win.
    • longboarder543, on 04/15/2008, -0/+14It's absolutely criminal the prices that Monster tries to charge for their cables. Compare a 75ft HDMI cable from monoprice.com is $77.40. The equivalent 75ft HDMI cable from monstercable.com - $699.00 . They want $700 for a freaking HDMI cable. That's ridiculous.

      Links:
      http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id ...
      http://monstercable.com/productdisplay.asp?pin=383 ...
      • brad3378, on 04/16/2008, -0/+1What.The.*****?

        $700 for a cable that transmits DIGITAL signals?
        Even if these cables were intended for analog signals it would be a rip-off, but this is just plain fraudulent.
        Gold plated terminals are a total waste of money for digital signals unless you're running in a highly corrosive environment.
    • LogicBomB, on 04/15/2008, -0/+6His response was quite literally like sex for my mind. God I've been looking for intellectual stimulus like this for a while.

      This guy is ***** amazing.
    • jaewon223, on 04/15/2008, -0/+2There should be a penalty for accusations for patent infringement where if the accuser is wrongfully making accusations they have to pay a penalty (based on the amount they are seeking maybe). Make companies and patent holders think twice before just threatening everybody.
      • S1ngular1ty1, on 04/16/2008, -0/+1That is a really dumb idea. Then if someone infringes on your patent, which is your livelihood, and you can't prove it you are fined on top of having business stolen from you outright. The current system is fine. If the accuser can't prove their case, the judge will probably award the defendant court fees.
    • jsaya, on 04/16/2008, -0/+1M-M-M-MONSTER KILL!
  • tdwester, on 04/15/2008, -0/+200It is nice to see someone take a strong stand against a company like monster.
    • Bhima, on 04/15/2008, -0/+9I can just imagine what he could do with this marketing wise.
    • Retrodigg123, on 04/15/2008, -0/+2David Versus Goliath =]
    • DubiousDrewski, on 04/15/2008, -0/+2"I do not compromise with bullies and I would rather spend fifty thousand dollars on defense than give you a dollar of unmerited settlement funds." - Kurt Denke

      That a boy!
      • sinembarg0, on 04/16/2008, -0/+1He has the possibility to gain more than he lost doing it this way as well.
  • JermTool, on 04/15/2008, -6/+78Kurt is my idol, good luck! He is right that Monster is a bully company. I can't wait to see this story develop!
    • threepio, on 04/15/2008, -9/+6Your idol? He wrote a brilliant response to a stupid piece of litigation and he's your idol?

      You need to get out more.
      • JermTool, on 04/15/2008, -2/+5Yeah he's definitely my idol... one intelligent response to a bully company automatically puts you on my idol's list. I wasn't kidding at all. I'm so serious right now. He's my idol.
    • AROZ, on 04/15/2008, -0/+3And with a letter like that, I bet Monster will now become quiet on the matter.
    • cloudeh, on 04/15/2008, -1/+2Small cable company bullied by 'Monster' corporate giants.. Throw in reference to star wars..

      GREAT SUCCESS!!! Digg Front Page!
    • YonicSouth, on 04/15/2008, -0/+2BUT HIS CABLES LOOK EXACTLY LIKE MONSTER'S!!!!!
      http://www.tartancable.com/graphics/digitalaudiopr ...
  • diggdoc07, on 04/15/2008, -2/+403Awesome line in a very awesome post:
    "Not only am I unintimidated by litigation; I sometimes rather miss it."
    • geoken, on 04/15/2008, -3/+50I don't know why but that line conjured images of 300 in my mind.
      • WoollyMittens, on 04/15/2008, -2/+97This is TARTAN!!!

        • ApokalypseNow, on 04/15/2008, -1/+3Ah good - I was going to go the route of stating that missing litigation is... madness...
      • thaddeusj, on 04/15/2008, -1/+7LAWYERS, WHAT IS YOUR PROFESSION?

        SUUUE ! SUUUE! SUUUE!!!
      • usafdave, on 04/15/2008, -0/+1"Blue Jeans!!... Recall and stop manufacturing your cables!"

        "Monster!... Come and make me!"
    • unicornpaco, on 04/15/2008, -3/+2i copied that line and intended to paste it.
      you, sir, are my temporary hero.
    • wendelgee2, on 04/15/2008, -2/+4And a snappy use of the semicolon.
    • weasler7, on 04/15/2008, -1/+5More like incorrect use of a semicolon. A semicolon is used to separate two independent clauses. D'oh!
      • wendelgee2, on 04/15/2008, -1/+1Oh god. You're so right. I wish I could digg myself down...under a rock.
  • brentis, on 04/15/2008, -0/+184I've bought blue jeans cables 3 years ago from a recommendation. These cables are commercial grade at a fraction of the cost of Monster. May I be the first to say FU Monster. You will go down when Circuit City is bought by Blockbuster. HDMI will also do you in - or so I hope.
    • kamilmarkowicz, on 04/15/2008, -0/+28Except the fact that dumb consumers are still willing to spend $100+ on Monster brand HDMI (yes, HDMI) cables. I am happy with my HDMI cables from monoprice.com :).
      • djSyndrome, on 04/15/2008, -1/+24Anyone dumb enough to spend that kind of money for a cable *deserves* to be separated from their cash.
        (and yes, Monoprice.com cables are great)
      • paulringo, on 04/15/2008, -1/+9Bump for the monoprice.com mention. How do they sell them so cheap?!?!
        • daza, on 04/15/2008, -0/+13Because they are quite cheap to manufacture. They really do not cost hundreds of dollars. They are made from materials which are easily accessible and can be put together cheaply.
        • cquinnd, on 04/15/2008, -0/+4They also have a lot less overhead, and seem to get most of their promotion from word of mouth.
      • acmeinc, on 04/15/2008, -1/+0I am spoiled on watching uncompressed 10bit HD and 4k through SDI cables at work. It's like looking upon the face of God when you are a videophile - everything else looks so bleh.
      • xkorbin, on 04/16/2008, -0/+2I am an electronics dealer. I can assure you markup on monster cables is terrible. 1M of HDMI = 51USD Dealer Cost.
        Markup: 200% generally.
    • Brad87, on 04/15/2008, -0/+2Clearly you are not the first to say it :)
    • JlmAWP, on 04/15/2008, -0/+12As long as Best Buy "salespeople" recommend them, Joe Saturday will eat them up with a spoon.
      • kevisazombie, on 04/15/2008, -1/+5I thought his name was Joe Sixpack
    • alanthing, on 04/15/2008, -0/+32A few years ago I emailed Kurt asking him for a custom cable request and he delivered a high quality product at a great price with fantastic customer service. I hope this story will not only show that Monster Cables and their high prices are a ripoff, but that Kurt produces an excellent product and backs it up with great customer service. Rock on, Kurt!
    • DarkDx, on 04/15/2008, -0/+2C'mon this is the internet, ***** monster cables1
  • jopjop, on 04/15/2008, -0/+147The first line is also a winner:

    "RE: Your letter, received April Fools' Day"
  • donwilkerson, on 04/15/2008, -1/+134This Kurt just made a short list of "Lawyers I Have Loved".
    • Sneakypoof, on 04/15/2008, -4/+1Can i assume Johnnie Cochran not on it?
    • jggr, on 04/15/2008, -0/+2My goodness.. Well, I've never had a list before, but he's definitely on it.
      /Congrats Kurt... You're the only lawyer I've ever liked.
      //Ya, I know... You're uber pleased. :)
  • sdavie, on 04/15/2008, -1/+173He is my Hero:
    "Indeed, the less my customers think my products resemble Monster's, in form or in function, the better."
    or
    "Not only am I unintimidated by litigation; I sometimes rather miss it."
    • AmateurX, on 04/15/2008, -0/+1"Indeed..." I caught that too. Their customers are looking for Mon$ter alternatives!
  • madcowbrit, on 04/15/2008, -2/+32Superb.... Superb... Awesome Mr Denke - I'm going to buy one or more of your cables now!!!
    • ZeNiTH456, on 04/15/2008, -0/+1I would too but it seems his site is down (at least for me at work).
  • LSP55, on 04/15/2008, -0/+53Awesome, just awesome. Actually read the whole thing and it's solid gold.

    Gotta love a good lawyer, as rare as they are.

    I'd love it if MC actually tried to sue.
    • diggit83, on 04/15/2008, -0/+13They wouldn't, this was a weak bluff.
    • ayeroxor, on 04/15/2008, -1/+11"Actually read the whole thing and it's solid gold."

      Just like Monster Cable™!
  • BaldGuy, on 04/15/2008, -30/+13I read halfway through the article and figured out they weren't talking about real monsters.
    • Rotzooi, on 04/15/2008, -1/+14Calvin, that you?

      -Hobbes
    • ORBAT, on 04/15/2008, -4/+2You're... joking. Right?
      Please tell me you're joking.
      • ophello, on 04/15/2008, -0/+1no ***** sherlock.
        • ORBAT, on 04/16/2008, -0/+1Seeing people repeatedly fail to understand satire and parody on Digg has made me lose all faith in the intelligence of fellow diggers, so I tend to be overly cautious.
    • revolvert5, on 04/15/2008, -1/+1My mom told me real monsters only exist in my imagination.
  • ayeroxor, on 04/15/2008, -26/+5Awesome article!

    That being said...

    Article: "Not long ago we reported that Monster Cable had issued a cease and desist [...]"
    Submitter: "Not long ago weMonster Cable issued a cease and desist [...]"

    It's called proofreading, Subby...
  • geoken, on 04/15/2008, -0/+187I like the part where he calls them out on their sham company in Bermuda.
  • WomensUnderwear, on 04/15/2008, -2/+39you got SERVED
    • leerayIG88, on 04/15/2008, -0/+2Would you like fries with that?
      • ophello, on 04/15/2008, -0/+1Would you like some cheese with your whine?
  • alanr19, on 04/15/2008, -0/+62Nice work. I'm so sick of staff trying to sell me monster cable every time I buy home entertainment stuff. Their mark-up is astronomical too. Wasn't their internal pricelist posted here some time back?
  • wafla, on 04/15/2008, -2/+8This guy is a new American hero.
    • leerayIG88, on 04/15/2008, -0/+1Captain America? Maybe theres a little Captain in all of us.
  • inajeep, on 04/15/2008, -0/+42 Kurt Denke, using the dark side for good.
    • dodger6, on 04/15/2008, -1/+2Kurt Denke, you sir are all that's left of your religion.



    • wiggles, on 04/15/2008, -1/+2The law can be used by good or evil people, but is inherently neither good nor evil. It just so happens that you only really hear it used in this manner for evil.

      But, there are times when the light side wins, and wins big. Rent 'The Pelican Brief'.
    • Jargonaut06, on 04/16/2008, -0/+2The law is strong in this one.
  • IphtashuFitz, on 04/15/2008, -1/+61Damn, that's a long letter. But it sure was a helluva lot of fun to read it! Kudos to Kurt!

    "It looks like when you sent this letter, you were operating on the premise that I am not smart enough to see through your deceptions or sophisticated enough to intelligently evaluate your claims; shame on you. You are required, as a matter of legal ethics, to display good faith and professional candor in your dealings with adverse parties, and you have fallen miserably short of your ethical responsibilities."
  • AttilaD, on 04/15/2008, -0/+23I hate Monster Cable so much...
  • GogDog, on 04/15/2008, -3/+106The best part of the whole thing:

    "After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1985, I spent nineteen years in litigation practice, with a focus upon federal litigation involving large damages and complex issues. My first seven years were spent primarily on the defense side, where I developed an intense frustration with insurance carriers who would settle meritless claims for nuisance value when the better long-term view would have been to fight against vexatious litigation as a matter of principle. In plaintiffs' practice, likewise, I was always a strong advocate of standing upon principle and taking cases all the way to judgment, even when substantial offers of settlement were on the table. I am "uncompromising" in the most literal sense of the word. If Monster Cable proceeds with litigation against me I will pursue the same merits-driven approach; I do not compromise with bullies and I would rather spend fifty thousand dollars on defense than give you a dollar of unmerited settlement funds. As for signing a licensing agreement for intellectual property which I have not infringed: that will not happen, under any circumstances, whether it makes economic sense or not."
    • jjustice, on 04/15/2008, -0/+7Very cool. That's how I feel sometimes. I hope I'd actually be willing to back it up with my checkbook.
    • jgzman, on 04/15/2008, -0/+9The world would be a better place if more people thought that way. There is a time and a place to compromise, and a time and a place to dig in your heels.
  • indiehead, on 04/15/2008, -24/+5get this guy to back linux!
  • Rotzooi, on 04/15/2008, -0/+86lol: Further, 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.
    • ThermiteTerrace, on 04/15/2008, -0/+6I know it's played out...but all I can say is OH SNAP!
  • mrgreenjeans9, on 04/15/2008, -0/+89i've never heard of blue jeans cable, but after reading (most) of that...especially the last few paragraphs i'll be searching out their cable for my next purchase. go cat go!
    • cheeselord, on 04/15/2008, -1/+1Good luck getting them... Their website is currently inflames.
    • maxsunset, on 04/16/2008, -0/+1As of right now, the site is not down. And I have bought a few HDMI cables from them, and they are excellent. Extremely sturdy, and have no problems transmitting the signal. I would definitely recommend them.
  • damnclem, on 04/15/2008, -1/+111I've never seen someone pwn a multinational company so effortlessly and thoroughly.
    • BigW, on 04/15/2008, -1/+10Oh, yeah. This guy will never hear another thing from Monster ever again. Their legal department is going to run and hide.
      • smacksaw, on 04/15/2008, -0/+20Their legal department is going to say "you need to up the retainer you dumb assholes if you want us to go after someone like this"
    • freshyill, on 04/15/2008, -0/+9I love that he threw salt in the wound when he essentially called them out for being tax evaders.
    • DeathJux, on 04/16/2008, -0/+3I wouldn't say it was effortless, but indeed thorough.
  • Cydonius, on 04/15/2008, -0/+52"Indeed, the less my customers think my products resemble Monster's, in form or in function, the better."

    Ouch.
  • toekneebullard, on 04/15/2008, -0/+78"If you somehow managed, despite the formidable obstacles in your way, to obtain a finding of infringement, and if you were successful at recovering a large licensing fee--say, ten cents per connector--as the measure of damages, your recovery to date would not reach four figures."

    This guy's legal prowess combined with his humility is awesome.
    • EricAnderton, on 04/15/2008, -9/+1FAIL.

      Why does this guy keep hammering away on the veracity of their claims when it's obvious they can just bankrupt him with legal fees?
      • ophello, on 04/15/2008, -0/+2why do you breathe, even though you will die one day?

        you, sir, are the failure.
      • Qumahlin, on 04/15/2008, -0/+2Legal Fees? What fees? The court filing fees? HE IS A ***** LITIGATION LAWYER. This wasn't some backwater clerk who got a law degree and puttered around with it doing paperwork and boardroom meetings.
  • JMeister, on 04/15/2008, -14/+2Love it, the little man strikes back. I agree with poster tho moster cables are good but it needs people like this to keep them honest(ish) and on their toes!
  • cynistre, on 04/15/2008, -2/+26Wow, this letter pwns!! ... gonna buy me some Blue Jeans Cable today to support him!! Great read, thanks K. Denke
    • threepio, on 04/15/2008, -1/+12Make sure you post a link to a scan of the receipt.
      • repick3, on 04/15/2008, -0/+9Along with your credit card and Social Security numbers so we can identify you.
  • Sambora, on 04/15/2008, -1/+8Hear hear!
  • IphtashuFitz, on 04/15/2008, -0/+136It seems to me that Monster Cable has just provided one of their competitors with the sort of free advertising that most retailers can only hope for. I've always consider Monsters product to be extremely overpriced and will never buy anything of theirs. I never even heard of Blue Jeans until all this started, but now it's a name I'll remember quite well and I'll be sure to check them out the next time I'm in need of any audio/visual cables. As long as their products aren't overpriced like Monsters I'll seriously consider buying from Blue Jeans.
    • jgzman, on 04/15/2008, -0/+5I'm tempted to go buy a set, even though I have no equipment to use them on.
      • IIDXBoss, on 04/15/2008, -0/+1If this isn't proof of IphtashuFitz's point then I don't know what is.

        You can't buy this kind of publicity, and the fact that he is being honest and giving a large, greedy corporation the finger is going to make the publicity that much stronger.
    • bradleyland, on 04/15/2008, -0/+4Great Brand as well. At least IMO. Blue Jeans conjures up the idea of utility; of function over form. Just what you need in a cable.
    • Quadman909, on 04/15/2008, -0/+2They are not over priced. The last cable I bought was one third of the cost of Monster cable at BB and that was including shipping. Blue Jeans cables are much better and ooze quality.
  • ericd, on 04/15/2008, -0/+24Bravo. We as a society must not stand for bullying and unmerited patent infringement claims against small companies for simply trying to compete, and I'd love if this could be taken to the next level to prevent further bogus threats in the future. There simply needs to be more protection for small businesses from this scenario, especially for those that don't happen to be owned by accomplished lawyers.
  • scrooge4277, on 04/15/2008, -0/+42That must have been an unbelievably satisfying letter to write...makes me feel all warm and fuzzy just reading it.
  • NightStalker3, on 04/15/2008, -2/+8Great letter, I so hate Monster Cable.
  • TylerDCA, on 04/15/2008, -4/+21Monster is such a ripoff. Blue Jeans is alright, but www.monoprice.com for me.
    • smacksaw, on 04/15/2008, -0/+15Careful! ayeroxor will BLOCK you for even mentioning monoprice.com. I think he works for monster cable...
  • mprice177, on 04/15/2008, -2/+18Are people still buying Monster Cables???? --what dumbasses
    • Pake, on 04/15/2008, -0/+11Remember, as long as Bose manages to stay in business, there is always a sucker out there that will buy Monster Cable as well.
      • mprice177, on 04/15/2008, -0/+6Only Highs and Lows- Must be Bose.. You are absolutely correct.
    • lex0nyc, on 04/15/2008, -1/+3When it's the only thing in the store and you don't know any better...
    • freshyill, on 04/15/2008, -0/+4Well the problem is that Circuit City and Best Buy rake in major bucks on accessories, and that's what they sell. Serious audiophiles don't buy Monster. People with money to burn who don't do any research and who equate "expensive" with "the best" buy Monster. If they knew how overpriced it was, and how they were essentially getting no benefit to spending their money, even they would go with Monoprice. They may be stupid, but they're mostly just ignorant.

      I won't say Monster is crap; it's not. It's every bit as good as Monoprice--for twenty times the price.
      • chaosium, on 04/15/2008, -0/+2"audiophiles" are a different and just as retarded animal.
        • freshyill, on 04/16/2008, -0/+2I agree. They may actually be worse. I guess instead of "audiophiles," I should have said "smart people who want a really nice home theater setup, but are smart enough to understand that asking the guy at Best Buy what to buy doesn't count as doing research and realizing that you can get something of equal quality for a tiny fraction of the price."
          • chaosium, on 04/17/2008, -0/+1It's a shame that there isn't a better word for it :)
  • djdragon, on 04/15/2008, -6/+2OH SNAP!
  • IphtashuFitz, on 04/15/2008, -1/+62Heh. I just tried to go to http://www.bluejeanscable.com to check them out and their site isn't responding. Looks like they're getting so much free publicity out of this that their website can't handle the traffic...
    • badenglishihave, on 04/15/2008, -0/+7The Blue Jeans Cable guys must be dancing with glee.
    • BuddingMonkey, on 04/15/2008, -0/+5http://www.tartancable.com/ is still online but running slow
    • insomniac8400, on 04/15/2008, -3/+3It responds, just very slowly. Then to top it off if you make it to their prices, they are higher than monoprice.
  • BingoPower, on 04/15/2008, -0/+41"Not only am I unintimidated by litigation; I sometimes rather miss it."

    I'm sorry, but if the guy who you're trying to sue responds with that, you best get your ass out of Dodge, lest he come for you in the night....
  • tolstoi78, on 04/15/2008, -0/+50This letter was the most awesome "***** Off" I have ever read. Well done.
  • visiblepulse, on 04/15/2008, -3/+11Packing the Deal, big ripoff.
    http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/packing_the_deal/
    • origamistars, on 04/15/2008, -0/+5That was worth watching just for the things the salespeople said. "It cleans the electricity" wtf?
    • CaptTu, on 04/15/2008, -0/+1Bookmarked for future reference. Thanks!
    • chungthomas, on 04/16/2008, -0/+1I saw one of those "clean electricity" product advertisements at Futureshop in Canada, as an electrical/computer engineer by trade, I can't help but smirk. If they ever sell me one of those I will tell them to ***** off.
  • Meekus, on 04/15/2008, -0/+19You know... I am actually kind of saddened that he gave up law. From that letter, it seems he was an outstanding, and moreover a just lawyer.
    • chaosium, on 04/15/2008, -0/+1Hard to make a living like that and still pay off the student loans, i guess :(
  • dslartoo, on 04/15/2008, -2/+13That is utterly hilarious. Monster has definitely picked the wrong company to bully, like the article says. Ten bucks says Monster quietly withdraws their suit and slinks away to find someone else to poke.
    • insomniac8400, on 04/15/2008, -0/+4No suit, it was just a letter spouting wild allegations. This was his response. I doubt monster will take this any further after it.
      • dslartoo, on 04/15/2008, -0/+1Ah, I should have paid a bit more attention. I thought I saw "suit" in there somewhere. Thanks for the clarification.
  • flarida, on 04/15/2008, -2/+25I use Blue Jeans cables throughout my home theater, including several 50ft. runs. Never an ounce of trouble or signal degradation. Highly recommend them and even more so after reading that letter.
    • insomniac8400, on 04/15/2008, -5/+3Considering everything is digital these days a wire coat hanger will give you the same quality as any well made cable.
      • guyincognitoo, on 04/15/2008, -1/+5You can still have issues, i.e. drop outs, over long digital runs.
      • cquinnd, on 04/15/2008, -6/+2The content may be digitally encoded, but the physical signal is still analog.
        • joshblufs, on 04/15/2008, -0/+2Uh.... no....
          An analog or analogue signal is any time continuous signal where some time varying feature of the signal is a representation of some other time varying quantity. It differs from a digital signal in that small fluctuations in the signal are meaningful.
          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analog_signal
      • joshblufs, on 04/15/2008, -1/+1You know where to get 75ohm coat hangers dumbass? have fun with digital reflections and jitter.
      • salomejones, on 04/16/2008, -0/+2The nice thing about digital is that either it works or it doesnt...there's no real gain or loss in the quality of picture or sound (except for the last run between amp and speakers in most cases) as signal gains or loses. It's always been hilarious to me that so many people will spend an extra 40 bucks on "gold plated" ends for their digital cables---because it actually has absolutely zero effect.
        • joshblufs, on 04/16/2008, -0/+1I have to cut you consumers a break but as an audio professional i can tell you that you can degrade a digital signal even though it may still work. In my other post I pointed out the names of some of those problems. Digital reflections and jitter can occur with the wrong impedence cable. Its true that for you it will probably not ever matter but if you start trying to use coat hangers and you have some listening skills you would likely hear some problems. There are many other ways DIGITAL.... signals can be compromised but i won't bother.
      • joshblufs, on 04/16/2008, -0/+1p.s. your right about the gold connectors. you don't need em.
  • HookmasterCH47, on 04/15/2008, -1/+7BOOM... you just got lawyered
  • olenick, on 04/15/2008, -0/+11I think Monster just had a "What's the dough-boy afraid of?" moment. For now on, I'm buying Blue Jeans cables. Good job Monster lawyers; if this traction continues your client could end up w/ a massive hit to the brand and loss to market share that dwarfs any advantage you could've ever realized in a best-case litigation scenario. I have an IP troll who literally said, when I wrote a similar letter (similar case, and I have a similar background) "Yeah ... but those C&D letters were only letters; they don't really mean anything." To those with an Esq hanging off the end of their name remember this: YES -- to the market, if not the judges, these may very well mean something.
  • lshockey87, on 04/15/2008, -1/+1That was classic, I'm sure Monster Cable was not expecting that at all.
  • byaah10, on 04/15/2008, -1/+4That was just plain awesome. Next time I need cables I'm definitely looking into them. Stick it to em', Kurt.
  • jcaino, on 04/15/2008, -0/+26man that's an entertaining read. i deal with take-down notices, DMCA complaints, and copyright issues at work and this just made me laugh. i really, really want to see monster's response to this, although, i highly doubt they will.
  • gossipninja, on 04/15/2008, -0/+13Good for bluejean, not only do i think monster does a disservice to customers, but their heavy handed tactics hurt the market as a whole. I think that any premium cable purchases i make in the future will be bluejean brand because they have the balls to stand up to this BS industry giant.
    The real shame here, is that if blue jean wasn't ran by a lawyer, they probably wouldve settled. It is terrible that the common man has little ability to fight corporate juggernauts.
    • nomadxx7, on 04/15/2008, -0/+2Yeah but the moral of the story is there are still people willing to go to bat for themselves and the consumer. Sure most companies when lawyers and legal threats are thrown around will fold. But it does give me hope that a guy with knowledge and history of this kind of crap is willing to let his company sink on the merits of good business versus the all mighty dollar. There is still a shred of human decency in this world
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