--- title: Monster Energy thinks it owns the word ‘monster’ - The Hustle description: A game dev is calling out the energy-drink maker for objecting any time a company wants to use the word “monster.” image: https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/402573373-httpsthe-hustle.hubspot.comhubfsDaily20Newsletter20ImagesApril2012202023monster.webp --- # Monster Energy thinks it owns the word ‘monster’ ![Juliet Bennett Rylah](https://53.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/53/assets/hubspot.com/web-team/WBZ/HubSpot%20Media/Blog%202021/Images/Nav/Optimized/TheHustle_Icon_Dark.svg) [Juliet Bennett Rylah](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/author/juliet-bennett-rylah) [Juliet Bennett Rylah Twitter profile ](https://twitter.com/JBRylah) Published: April 13, 2023 Updated: October 11, 2023 Vincent Livings, CEO of game studio Glowstick Entertainment, wants everyone to know that Monster Beverage Corporation is a “[notorious trademark troll.](https://twitter.com/VincentLivings/status/1641068537354817536)” And, wow, is he right. ![Monster Energy drink](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hs-fs/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/402573373-httpsthe-hustle.hubspot.comhubfsDaily20Newsletter20ImagesApril2012202023monster.webp?width=595&height=400&name=402573373-httpsthe-hustle.hubspot.comhubfsDaily20Newsletter20ImagesApril2012202023monster.webp) The energy-drink maker frequently objects when other companies want trademarks, including the words “monster,” “beast,” or other things it thinks it owns. It has filed 134 such objections in Japan — including against Pokémon (short for “pocket monsters”) — which the patent office has rejected, [per](https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/20230406-243229/) *Automaton*. In the US, there are [100+](https://ttabvue.uspto.gov/ttabvue/v?pnam=Monster%20Energy%20Company%20%20&page=1) pending objections, [per](https://gizmodo.com/monster-energy-drinks-pokemon-games-glowstick-battle-1850317655) *Gizmodo*. Monster’s beef with Glowstick Entertainment? Its game, *Dark Deception: Monsters & Mortals*. **The concern…** … in a trademark objection is that customers might get confused, mistaking one brand for the other or assuming the two are related. But a gander at Monster’s US objections reveals a variety of products that have nothing to do with energy drinks, including: - Ice cream company [Nice Monster](https://ttabvue.uspto.gov/ttabvue/v?pnam=Nice%20Monster%20LLC%20%20) - [The Sleeve Monster](https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=97195816&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch), a tool for removing shirtsleeves and looking very cool - Meal prep service [Beauty & the Beast Cuisine](https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=90145856&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch) - [Potty Monsters](https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=97392909&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch), a line of diapers for adults who enjoy dressing like babies **Does this tactic work?** In 2020, Ubisoft changed a video game title after Monster filed a dispute, though it said the swap was unrelated. Attorney Richard Hoeg [told](https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/ubisoft-changed-gods-monsters-name-after-a-trademark-challenge-from-monster-energy/)* Video Game Chronicles* that though Ubisoft would have likely won, “opposition to a USPTO filing can essentially win the day because it’s too expensive to fight.” But MonsterFishKeepers, an online group for large fish enthusiasts, [won](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2016/02/29/these-college-students-took-on-one-of-americas-top-trademark-bullies-and-won/) thanks to students at a pro bono law clinic, and Livings intends to share Monster’s tactics with other game devs so they can vanquish the troll in the future. **BTW:** In 2014, Monster had to pay the Beastie Boys [$1.7m](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/beastie-boys-win-1-7m-copyright-case-vs-monster-beverage-n123986) for using their music without permission in a video. Topics: [Food](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/tag/food) ## Follow us on social media prev next - ![Holy smokes, there may actually be a limit to Texans’ love of barbecue](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1244337807-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-Texas-BBQ_20230928210924.webp) ### Holy smokes, there may actually be a limit to Texans’ love of barbecue - ![Think your industry is weird? Get a load of the beaded ice cream business](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/908447747-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-dippindots_20231002233115.webp) ### Think your industry is weird? Get a load of the beaded ice cream business - ![When did the packaged food aisle get so cool?](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/2070592382-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-Packaging_20231003215516.webp) ### When did the packaged food aisle get so cool? - ![The cereal industry’s forecast has no added sugar](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/258270469-19-News-Brief_2023-09-24T200813.124Z.webp) ### The cereal industry’s forecast has no added sugar - ![One chip, several problems](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/161461033-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-paqui_20230914213352.webp) ### One chip, several problems - ![The shroom boom is coming to the candy aisle](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1460885417-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-Mushrooms_20230816224353-1.webp) ### The shroom boom is coming to the candy aisle - ![A Pop-Tarts and Crocs partnership exists because we’re all total suckers](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1897903693-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-croc-tarts_20230814231514.webp) ### A Pop-Tarts and Crocs partnership exists because we’re all total suckers - ![L’Eggo my… booze in a jar?](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/858195133-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-Eggo_20230822212534.webp) ### L’Eggo my… booze in a jar? - ![Investors in search of greener pastures look to lab-grown meat](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/62473941-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-Beyond_Meat_stock_20230806234941.webp) ### Investors in search of greener pastures look to lab-grown meat - ![Hot dogs are making their stand](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/765967681-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-hot_dog_20230711001828.webp) ### Hot dogs are making their stand Pop up for Subscribe to The Hustle Daily Newsletter Subscribe to The Hustle Daily Newsletter Get the 5-minute news brief keeping 2.5M+ innovators in the loop. Always free. 100% fresh. No bullsh*t. JOIN FREE ### 100% Free CRM Nurture and grow your business with customer relationship management software. Signup for a free account Close modal ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Juliet Bennett Rylah", "url" : "https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/news/author/juliet-bennett-rylah" }, "datePublished" : "2023-04-13T00:40:39.000Z", "headline" : "Monster Energy thinks it owns the word ‘monster’", "image" : [ "https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/402573373-httpsthe-hustle.hubspot.comhubfsDaily20Newsletter20ImagesApril2012202023monster.webp" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/news/monster-energy-thinks-it-owns-the-word-monster", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject" } } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "#article", "@type" : "NewsArticle", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Juliet Bennett Rylah", "url" : "https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/author/juliet-bennett-rylah" }, "dateModified" : "2023-10-11T19:27:07+0000", "datePublished" : "2023-04-13T00:40:39+0000", "headline" : "Monster Energy thinks it owns the word ‘monster’", "image" : [ "https://7355427.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/7355427/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/402573373-httpsthe-hustle.hubspot.comhubfsDaily20Newsletter20ImagesApril2012202023monster.webp" ], "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 112, "url" : "https://fs.hubspotusercontent00.net/hubfs/53/assets/hubspot.com/web-team/WBZ/Blog%202021/Images/Logos/HubSpot%20Logo%20112X112.svg", "width" : 112 }, "name" : "HubSpot", "sameAs" : [ "https://www.facebook.com/hubspot", "https://twitter.com/hubspot" ], "url" : "https://www.hubspot.com" }, "speakable" : { "@type" : "SpeakableSpecification", "xPath" : [ "//title", "/html/head/meta[@name='description']/@content" ] } } ```