SAM Magazine--Denver, Colo., Dec. 22, 2004--Sirdar, the company that created the Snow Monsters skier/rider development program, is seeking a declaratory judgment action for non-infringement and non-dilution of a trademark in Denver Federal Court. Monster Cable, a manufacturer of speaker wire, audio, video and other electrical cables, is trying to claim trademark infringement against Snow Monsters.

Monster Cable has gone after literally hundreds of companies that use the word "monster" in their names, from Walt Disney (for the movie "Monsters, Inc.") to the Chicago Bears (Monsters of the Midway). It has won undisclosed out-of-court settlements with many larger companies, and seeks to gain control over smaller companies such as Snow Monsters by threatening to run up enormous legal expenses and thus compel other trademark owners to license the Monster word. But this time Sirdar's Jack Turner is taking the offensive. He hopes his pre-emptive filing will foil what could be years of legal wrangling.

In addition to Sirdar's motion for a judgment of non-infringement, the Snow Monsters website is encouraging a boycott of Monster Cable products, and asking viewers to call or write Monster Cable, asking it to desist.

"They say they own the name 'monster,'" Turner told the Denver Post. "They are big. They are mean. They play dirty. It's time for someone to stand up to the bullies and say enough is enough." \

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