Monster Energy Tried to Sue Pokemon and Capcom's Monster Hunter Over the Use of the Word 'Monster'

Monster Energy may be one of the most popular energy drinks on Earth, but the company looked very petty as it went after several companies and franchises over their use of the word "Monster." These include Pokemon and Capcom's Monster Hunter.

The energy drink company claimed that companies and franchises using the word "monster" in names and titles may lead to consumer confusion. As such, Monster Energy has repeatedly sought legal action and sued various companies to "protect" its brand.

Japanese publication Automaton reported that in Japan, Monster Energy filed 134 complaints in the country's patent office to cancel the trademark registration for various trademarks bearing the name "Monster." This included Pokemon, which is also known as Pocket Monsters, as well as Monster Hunter, two very popular and influential video game franchises.

The energy drink brand also objected to the use of the titles "Monster Hunter Cross" (Monster Hunter X) and "Monster Hunter" as a brand and specifically targeted "Pokemon X and Y" as well as "Pokemon Sun and Moon."

It also went after the free-to-play mobile game "Monster Strike" as well as other similar games with the word "monster" in their title, including "Immortals Fenyx Rising," which was originally called "Gods and Monsters." Monster Energy reportedly still went after the Ubisoft game despite the company already changing the title prior to release.

However, it is not just the big triple-A games that Monster Energy has been going up against as it has also picked on smaller indie studios, as it also went after an indie game titled Dark Deception: Monsters & Mortals, as it also has the word "Monster" in it.

Monster Energy Often Failed in These Lawsuits

While the energy drink company was very prolific in filing these trademark lawsuits, it was not very successful. Metro UK noted that it failed to change the titles or cancel the trademarks to a lot of these games.

The Japanese Patent Office has ruled against the energy drink company in many of its legal battles involving trademarks, stating that "there is no risk of causing confusion as to the origin of the product."

Many of the titles that Monster Energy went after actually predate the company itself. An example is Pokemon, which launched in Japan in 1996. Monster Energy was launched in 2002, and Metro UK pointed out that by Monster Energy's own logic, it should be the energy drink that should change its name as Pokemon is older than the company by about six years.

Monster Energy Accused of Being a 'Trademark Troll'

Monster Energy did not just go after video games, but also the NBA team, the Toronto Raptors over their use of the "monster claw emblem." However, its repeated lawsuits and its repeated failures have branded the company a "trademark troll," as it used legal action to stifle competition.

According to Game Rant, the energy drink company's actions have sparked concern among gamers and developers alike as its repeated attempts to sue other companies over the word "monster" has little to do with "protecting consumers" but rather to flex its legal muscles. With its recent string of filings, it seems that the company will still be going after other games in the future as well.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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