I havent visited this site since last summer sometime so this is the first that I have heard of this. I am certainly no legal expert, so Im wondering if somebody can clarify this. The cases listed in the original link are listed under the patent office web site. So are these actual lawsuits to the extent the common person such as myself thinks of them ? Or is it simply an attempt to monopolize the Monster name to gain royalties ? Or is it one in the same?

Regardless of which one, it sounds like a seriously misguided and inappropriate way to conduct a business. It certainly isnt going to win them any fans thats for sure. Its obvious that Monster is aware of this and reads the various A/V forums as the link to www.stopthemonster.com has literally been hijacked. You now get a letter defending Monster Cables actions. This in itself makes me suspicious.

With the A/V cable industry being viewed largely as a snake oil industry praying on the uninformed and/or the gullible, the last thing it needs is lawsuits that sound like something from the National Enquirer or the Jerry Springer Show.

Personally I dont like seeing this type of thing hurting our beloved past time. I think we as A/V enthusiasts owe it to ourselves to find out just what these actions by Monster really mean from a legal perspective, and put them into lay terms that we can understand. Then we will be able to turn this into a much more meaningful forum, and then decide whether a boycott is appropriate. Is there someone out there who can shed some light on this for us ? Or, if you know of someone who can, please have him/her contribute. Are there any volunteers?