Here's something we didn't realise was going on: Monster Energy has been going after other brands that have the word "monster" in them. As it turns out, this has been going on for quite a while, with the beverage company threatening legal action against other products that don't change their name. Recently, Monster Hunter has been hit with this, though nothing has come of it.
Perhaps the most famous instance of this practice was against Ubisoft's Immortals Fenyx Rising, which was forced to change its original name, Gods and Monsters. Other targets include indie game Dark Deception: Monsters & Mortals and even Pokémon (aka Pocket Monsters). A new report from Japan says Monster Energy has also now gone after Monster Hunter.
The reason for all the fuss is that the company doesn't want its customers confusing the energy drinks with other brands and products. The Japan Patent Office apparently denied Monster's complaints, saying "there is no risk of causing confusion as to the origin of the product", so it's not exactly working out.
Monster Hunter won't be needing to change its name, then. That'd be quite a major operation considering, between Monster Hunter World and Rise, the franchise is now enormous, both inside and outside Japan. Better luck next time, Monster Energy.
[source automaton-media.com, via thegamer.com]
Comments 57
Read that tagline and audibly went “OHHHHHH”
What a bunch of chancers.
Disgusting behaviour, if I were any kind of trade minister in any country I'd tell them to stop f*****g around or your products will be band from import and sale
This is ridiculous, lol.
I've often wondered why people willingly drink this poison. It comes in such huge cans too, at least Red Bull is only a few mouthfuls.
Yucktastic.
Toss the entire Monster Energy brand into the sea. Going after literally anything with the word Monster. So dumb.
I would be interested in how they would prove that, if in some weird parallel universe such a confusion were possible, they would actually incur damages from this comparison. Monster Hunter is well respected, considered one of the best in its genre, Monster the drink is…not.
Disgusting, I’ll never buy Monster Energy drinks again…. Because I have never done so before and have no intention to poison myself 🙃
i actually have several times
Love it when companies use common words for their brands and then get mad when another company uses the same word
Reminds me of when Take Two went after It Takes Two
I thought they had been going after an indie title. They are going for Monster Hunter? Madness.
Hate it when companies try and do this. It's pathetic. Can't believe people drink that stuff either 🤢
Monster Hunter is such a simple and effective name that gets the point of the series across (altho lately they've been removing so many things that made the series feel like a hunt). I'd hate to think there could ever be a chance they'd have to change the name. Especially over such an awful drink that doesn't even own the word
Because I totally walk into a convenience store and confuse a drink can with a monster hunting video game.
Every. Time.
I wish life was so much easier!
Note: Sarcasm
wonder if they have gone at Disney for monsters inc
Maybe Monster Hunter could ask for compensation since they’ve been giving them free advertising all this time.
Monster hunter has the name first before they did
Should also change the meaning of the word monster in the dictionary to say it means an energy drink....
@Wheatly probably because energy drinks have worse ingredients than coffee
Surprised this is still happening. This company has been pulling this garbage for years, I’ve no idea what the intention is aside from throwing a temper tantrum over their brand not doing great in their market. Bizarre but pretty funny honestly, if they weren’t a company and instead a single individual they’d be considered litigious and told to bug off.
Easy solution.
Monster changes the name of it's, and I use this word in it's loosist sense, drink.
I'd suggest " Poisonous Chavvy Pisswasser."
@C25CLOUD Monster Engery came out in April 2002. Monster Hunter came in March 2004… So monster technically beat them to market by 2 years.
***** them.
They don't own the word.
But it's not even called "monster". It's called"mønster" which is pronounced much closer to "mönster" 🤷♀️
@stvevan there's nothing in energy drinks that you can't buy in tablet or powder form from any pharmacy or health food shop. Anything is bad in the wrong quantities. Issues arise when people frequently drink multiple cans a day.
Not a fan of this behaviour by monster though.
Don’t Bethesda do the same thing with anyone using the world ‘Scrolls’.
I don’t get it. There shouldn’t be a copyright on singular words. Words used in conjunction? Sure protect your IP.
Trademark and Copyright are different, but frequently confused. The idea that if you don't defend your property you lose the right to it - that's from Trademark law, not Copyright law.
There's actually a legal incentive for Monster to go after other uses of Monster, even if they lose, because they can demonstrate they are actively protecting their Trademark. That could be relevant some day if some other company releases a "Monster Killer" sports drink and tries to claim that Monster is a generic term - you see similar aggression from "Band-Aid" and "Kleenex," who want to protect their Trademarks.
I think it's absurd, but the absurdity isn't fully with the company, some of it's with the law.
It’s borderline disturbing to see people chugging on one of these humongous cans at 8am.
And no, nobody is going to confuse anything else that uses the word Monster with this company and their product.
Sad times.
You're next Monster Mash
Capcom should sue Monster energy and make them change their product name.
@RobN The problem is "Monster" is a generic term, they can't just sue every product that have Monster in their name. Unlike Google and Kleenex which is a unique name.
Walkers should sue them for bring too similar to "monster munch" which predates monster energy and is closer in market.
Mmmmmmm.......I fancy a picked onion or hot and spicy pack now XD
They’re notorious patent trolls, go after anyone who uses monster in their title
What’s mental is that the Coca Cola company own them!
@wiiware "The problem is 'Monster' is a generic term, they can't just sue every product that have Monster in their name."
Of course they can - THEY ARE. You can sue anybody for any reason. You might lose, but you can still sue - I can sue you for your post, even if it would be a waste of my own time and money.
And "Monster" is not a generic term when it's applied to beverages - it's a trademarked term when applied to beverages. That's what trademarks do - they take even generic words and let someone "own" them within a specific context. "Apple" protects their trademark, too - just try making something computer-related and call it Apple. Look at the history of what they did when they started iTunes, and went after Apple Music - what inspired their own name!
The fact that Monster sponsors a (bad) Motocross video game - one of them was free on Plus a couple years ago - gives them reason to argue that other games with Monster in the title might confuse people that the drink is sponsoring them, too.
I'm not saying it's a good argument, or that they'll win in court if someone stands up to them - but it's an argument.
People drink monster because they like the taste, not sure why people don't understand that.
I personally can't understand why anyone would willingly drink coffee. Foul stuff imo.
They best not try this with Monster Munch.
Monster energy is just one of the worst drinks you can get. I work at retail and to be fair, they don't sell as good as they think they do.
Yeah, cos we’re that stupid 🤦🏻♂️
I've enjoyed both for years and both are great. But nobody I talk to about either gets confused.
This can't be real.
Running their toxic waste beverage business just like big tobacco with suing everyone. Biiiig surprise.
Hey Monster Energy is good too, at least some of the flavors. Just i don't like their marketing
@RobN
These are what are known as SLAPP lawsuits (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation). The goal of this lawsuit isn't to win (it will eventually get thrown out and they damn well know it), it's the fact Monster has vastly more money than the defendants and will drain their defendants finances strategically via legal fees by dragging this out as long as possible which is their true goal. It's BS and should be illegal, John Oliver had a great segment on this with his tv show as he was a victim of this disgusting practice himself.
@AverageGamer pah! Monster munch beat them all to it by decades..i'm a pickled onion man myself 🤣👍
@Wheatly Lol because coffee is less harmful than energy drinks that taste like you are drinking poison.
@Northern_munkey you look pickled. Me I’m just pallid, anyone looking for a famous monster to endorse their health drink hit me up
Sorry but you don't own the word Monster. Must be a bunch of bored lawyers.
Freaking hilarious, but I do feel for the companies that have to deal with this BS.
Jesus, by energy drink standards the Monster brand's stuff is not even that good (imo its actually far from good).
This behaviour of the brand's people and their lawyers is just plain pathetic.
@SystemAddict 🤣👍
after seeing this, I will never buy this Monster ***** Energy Product lol
Capcom should put out a drink called Energy Hunter.
@Northern_munkey Don’t know what that is… so they probably won’t have to worry about that.
@Bamila I don’t know where you live, but they sell extremely well over here in the US.
@AverageGamer Ireland
Those claiming this type of pseudo legal bullying is unusual should also know that Ohio State University's quest to copyright the use of the grammatical article "the" on all college athletic gear sold in the US was granted by the courts in 2022. So, yeah.
Anyone who tries to enforce a monopoly over an actual word is off their rocker.
@Wheatly bit more to it than that. Also when we refer to a coffee - for most its an Americano or latte. Literally, coffee plus water and milk or just milk. Here's a can of monster;
Carbonated Water, Sucrose, Glucose Syrup, Acid (Citric Acid), Flavourings, Taurine (0.4%), Acidity Regulator (Sodium Citrates), Panax Ginseng Root Extract (0.08%), L-Carnitine L-Tartrate (0.04%), Preservatives (Sorbic Acid, Benzoic Acid), Caffeine (0.03%), Colour (Anthocyanins), Vitamins (B3, B6, B2, B12), Sweetener (Sucralose), Sodium Chloride, D-Glucuronolactone, Guarana Seed Extract (0.002%), Inositol, Maltodextrin
I enjoy an energy drink. But you know its bad for you. On many occasions they have worked. Given you the additional energy to see a shift through with gusto. Other times, well they have made me jittery or feeling ill. Also the daily dietary b vitamin requirements are smashed into oblivion with upto 300%. 2 cans throughout the day not counting naturally occurring vitamins through eating and it's going to cause side effects. Also a few of the ingredients have little scientific history. So it's just thrown in and see what happens in twenty years.
@Wheatly agreed, alcohol is poison. And we all have the right to judge. I like energy drinks, tending to have 2 or so a week. But they are bad for you. In the same way as chocolate or crisps. It's junk. But I suppose that's another discussion away from gaming.
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