Key Takeaways
- Monster Beverage Corporation, the company behind Monster Energy drinks, is aggressively targeting companies that use "monster" in their names or products, regardless of their size.
- The company has a history of trademark objections, including suing small businesses and targeting major videogame franchises like Pokémon and Monster Hunter.
- Indie game studio Glowstick Entertainment is the latest company targeted by Monster Beverage Corporation for its horror game, Dark Deception: Monsters & Mortals, due to its alleged similarity to Monster Energy's brand.
- Glowstick Entertainment's CEO plans to fight back against Monster in court and is advocating for a boycott of the energy drink company.
- Monster has proposed a negotiation that would allow the use of the name Monsters and Mortals in exchange for an agreement that the studio would never use any variation of "monster" in any future game titles.
Monster Beverage Corporation, the company behind the popular Monster Energy drinks and a notorious trademark bully, is once again making headlines for its aggressive trademark objections.
This time, the company has targeted indie game studio Glowstick Entertainment, pushing them to change the name of their horror game, Dark Deception: Monsters & Mortals, due to its alleged similarity to Monster Energy’s brand.
Bullying Small and Big Companies Alike
Monster Beverage Corporation, partially owned by Coca-Cola and boasting a market cap of $55 billion, has a history of attacking companies that use “monster” in their names or products.
One of the more well-known instances occurred in 2020, when Ubisoft changed the name of its game from Gods & Monsters to Immortals: Fenyx Rising after Monster’s complaints.
The company has also sued a small Ohio restaurant for using “monster” in its signage and engaged in a years-long legal battle with a group of fishkeepers who wanted to sell merchandise with the name of their online forum, “MonsterFishKeepers.”
Monster Beverage Corporation, partially owned by Coca-Cola and boasting a market cap of $55 billion, has a history of attacking companies that use “monster” in their names or products.
Ties to the Videogame Industry
With deep connections in the videogame industry, Monster Beverage Corporation sponsors streamers and events.
However, it has also targeted some of the most beloved game franchises, such as Pokémon and Monster Hunter.
The company has filed over 134 trademark objections in Japan and over 100 objections in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Despite these objections, Pokémon games have been released with their original names, while other companies haven’t been as fortunate.
The Current Dispute with Glowstick Entertainment
Glowstick Entertainment’s CEO, Vincent Livings, has taken to Twitter to call out Monster Beverage Corporation, referring to them as a “bully.”
He revealed that the company proposed a negotiation, allowing the use of the name Monsters and Mortals in exchange for an agreement that the studio would never use any variation of “monster” in any future game titles.
Livings also mentioned that Monster demanded the studio never use a green and white logo on a black background for any future games.
Livings plans to fight back against Monster in court and is advocating for a boycott of the energy drink company.
He is currently in the process of filing a Motion for Summary Judgment to halt Monster Energy’s legal team from prolonging the process and draining Glowstick Entertainment’s financial resources.
The motion has a 50-50 chance of success and can still be appealed, but it would save the indie studio valuable time if it succeeds.
