Monsterfishkeepers needs your help

[amgirard2003]

Keeping and raising fish is a hobby of mine and this is a site i frequent quite often.
www.monsterfishkeepers.com

Asking this great community to help in preserve this site and also stop this from becoming a precedent for possibly future site shutdowns similar to this...

http://support.monsterfishkeepers.com/

On February 24, Monster Energy Company sent a cease & desist letter to MonsterFishKeepers.com in regards to their use of the marks MonsterFishKeepers, and the MonsterFishKeepers “M” symbol in connection with clothing, accessories, and stickers. It also requires us to drop the trademark applications that were pending at the time for said trademarks. Monster Energy claimed that the use of these marks constituted trademark infringement and would cause confusion with their own MONSTER™, MONSTER ENERGY®, and MONSTER “Claw M®” marks. MonsterFishKeepers.com asserted that an informed consumer would be unlikely to mistake the two brands as one is specifically marketed towards the keepers of large fishes in specialized online sites & aquarium stores while the other is more openly marketed in sports-related facilities and traditional retail stores.

Later on, Monster Energy sent a series of demands including, but not limited to, abandoning the trademark applications for the MonsterFishKeepers “M” symbol marks as well as ceasing to use those marks in connection with apparel & accessories, refraining from using or applying for any marks containing the word “Monster” or the letter “M,” refraining from using the colors black & green on any MonsterFishKeepers.com or Monster Aquaria Network Websites or in connection with apparel & accessories, and pay Monster Energy Corporation its attorneys’ fees in connection with this matter. MonsterFishKeepers.com has no intention of agreeing to the bulk of Monster’s demands as these terms are extremely restrictive & unfair, not to mention downright ridiculous in some cases.

As you know, we have been using our MonsterFishKeepers and the MonsterFishKeepers “M” design marks since March 30, 2005 and the marks were duly registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office since October 23, 2007. We strongly believe that the law is on MonsterFishKeepers.com’s side, but MonsterFishKeepers.com will not be able to fund the legal proceedings that would be needed to resolve this dispute with Monster Energy. Unfortunately for MonsterFishKeepers.com, Monster Energy can file an unlimited number of appeals even if MonsterFishKeepers.com wins the first round of the case; in the end, Monster Energy would certainly outlast MonsterFishKeepers.com in the legal proceedings after MonsterFishKeepers.com runs out of money since there is no way that such a small company could compete with such a large company in terms of legal fees. As such, we, the staff of the Monster Aquaria Network, ask that you, the reader & MonsterFishKeepers.com member & supporter, help us to convince Monster Energy Corporation to drop this issue immediately. We intend to contact them via any means possible to let them know that this is not acceptable as well as hit them at the bottom line by boycotting all Monster Energy Corporation products. We would greatly appreciate it if you would take a small amount of time out of your day to let Monster Energy know that what they’re doing is not going to be well regarded/well perceived by us as consumers of their soft drink products.

In closing, we thank you for your continued support, and we hope that we will be able to enjoy many more years of fish-filled fun once this issue is resolved.

Sign the petition here http://www.change.org/petitions/mons...t-infringement

Thanks for your time and help...

[Willie Mays Hayes]

I think gekko and fraze post there.

[phillyfan]

My male beta is getting pretty damn big. Might be borderline monster. I joined the forum.

[Fraze]

I think gekko and fraze post there.

Been a member there since 2005, really good, informative site.

[Willie Mays Hayes]

Been a member there since 2005, really good, informative site.

Ha. Seriously?

[Fraze]

Ha. Seriously?

Yep, it was a great resource for me when I used to be in the biz.

[Willie Mays Hayes]

You got out? I was just thinking about getting back in

[GaryAngel]

How Monster Energy could even be doing this is beyond me. Totally different and the M used by both are totally different. Monster Energy is going to lose this one.

[sseelhoff]

How Monster Energy could even be doing this is beyond me. Totally different and the M used by both are totally different. Monster Energy is going to lose this one.

Not so fast, my friend. Lance Armstrong/Livestrong files these types of suits all the time, and win.

[phillyfan]

Not so fast, my friend. Lance Armstrong/Livestrong files these types of suits all the time, and win.

What does Lance Armstrong have against fish forums?

[sseelhoff]

What does Lance Armstrong have against fish forums?

He's anti-ichthite

http://www.thedailybeast.com/article...-revealed.html