Destroy All Monsters

Based on my referrer logs, one of the most popular posts I've ever made here at Riding Sun has been this one, about how Monster Cable is suing all sorts of businesses with the word "Monster" in their name or the name of their products.

Monster Cable claims it's only protecting its trademark, but it looks an awful lot like it's just trying to extort lucrative "licensing deals" or confidential settlements from companies that have nothing at all to do with audiovisual cables.

Well, what with this blog being about motorcycles and all, I should have immediately realized that, as National Coalition of Motorcyclists board member Bill Bish points out (scroll to the bottom), Ducati's Monster line of bikes also falls within the ambit of Monster Cable's shakedown scheme.

It doesn't look like Monster Cable has gone after Ducati yet, but given their litigation gameplan, it would seem to be only a matter of time before they do.

FOLLOW-UP:
As the company proudly notes on its website, Monster Cable has donated $100,000 (retail value) worth of its PowerCell brand batteries, plus $10,000 in cash, to the tsunami relief efforts.

From a company that just spent $6 million for the naming rights to a stadium, this is a level of giving stingy enough to make Jan Egeland's head explode.