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Monster & CEO Noel Lee Get Beat Again; Award to Beats is ‘Final and Binding’

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A Monster slide extolling the creation of Beats
At CE Week in 2014, Monster takes credit for Beats by Dr. Dre

After Many Years & Many Appeals, This Might Be It

It was eight years ago – all the way back to January 2015 – when I first reported on what looked to be a pretty ugly legal action beginning between Monster, LLC and Beats Electronics, LLC. While the lawsuit filed by Monster took place in January 2015, the actions that led them to that point actually began much earlier than that, all the way back to 2011. And the relationship between the two significant CE brands actually began even further back to 2009, when the two came together to create Beats by Dr. Dre headphones, the wildly popular consumer headphone brand.

But when the relationship ended…it ended badly…

Learn more about this latest loss by Monster, to the benefit of Beats (Apple)

[Read more…] about Monster & CEO Noel Lee Get Beat Again; Award to Beats is ‘Final and Binding’

Giving No Ground, Lenbrook Launches Robust Retaliation to Sonos Lawsuit

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Lenbrook Group logo

After receiving a stipulation allowing them more time to respond, Lenbrook Industries Ltd, and Lenbrook America, last week filed their response to the Sonos patent litigation they were hit with in June. It was a robust and smart response that clearly communicated that Lenbrook planned to give no ground in this dispute.

While perhaps not quite as audacious as the D&M response when they were first dealt the blow of litigation…Lenbrook offered a smart and savvy response that not only pushed back but seemingly undercuts many of Sonos’ core allegations..and patents.

Sonos v Lenbrook is heating up…who has the advantage?…

[Read more…] about Giving No Ground, Lenbrook Launches Robust Retaliation to Sonos Lawsuit

Did Control4 Just Try to End-Run Multiple Shareholder Lawsuits?

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Photo of Martin Plaehn, CEO of Control4

As Strata-gee recently reported, there are currently seven active lawsuits that have been filed against Control4 and their Board of Directors in the wake of their acquisition by SnapAV. In a new DEFA14A filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission last Friday, the company addresses the issue of these lawsuits – saying that they are going to fight them. But then they do something very curious – they file an amendment to their original Schedule 14A filing, their Proxy Statement, with added information that appears to add missing material in response to allegations in the lawsuits filed against them.

Is Control4 trying to end-run the litigation just days before shareholders vote? See more below…

[Read more…] about Did Control4 Just Try to End-Run Multiple Shareholder Lawsuits?

Control4 Hit With Another Class Action Lawsuit by Shareholders

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Control4 logo

The Control4 Corporation has been hit with another class action lawsuit filed on behalf of all shareholders of their stock in connection with their acquisition by Wirepath Home Systems, LLC – better known as SnapAV. Filed by the law firm of Rigrodsky & Long, P.A., the lawsuit alleges certain violations of Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and names both Control4 and its Board of Directors as defendants.

See more on this litigation against Control4…

[Read more…] about Control4 Hit With Another Class Action Lawsuit by Shareholders

Denon Defeated, Sonos Sics Lawyers on Lenbrook

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Sonos logo

On Thursday last week, Sonos, Inc. (NASDAQ: SONO) filed another patent infringement lawsuit, this time against Lenbrook Industries Limited and Lenbrook America Corp. At issue here is Lenbrook’s Bluesound brand launched back in 2013 to great fanfare as Strata-gee reported on at the time…and also discussed here…and which Sonos claims infringes on multiple Sonos patents.

See more on the Sonos suit vs Lenbrook…

[Read more…] about Denon Defeated, Sonos Sics Lawyers on Lenbrook

Far From Legally Dead, Monster Slugs Back at Beats

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Beats Gets More Awarded; But Monster Wins a Key Ruling Too

Photo of Noel LeeWhen we last visited this legal clash of the titans, a jury had just found that Monster must pay Beats nearly $8 million to reimburse them for the legal expenses in fighting the lawsuit that Monster had brought against them in 2015. Now, we have learned that the judge in that case has increased the judgment with an additional “directed” verdict. And in the matter of a separate case, Beats vs. Monster filed late last year, Monster has filed a countersuit and won a key ruling.

This Beats and Monster slugfest goes on… [Read more…] about Far From Legally Dead, Monster Slugs Back at Beats

Monster Throws a ‘Hail Mary,’ Pays Millions for Super Bowl Ad

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Monster logoMonster, Inc. (formerly Monster Cable) announced this week that it is launching its first ever television ad during the NBC broadcast of Super Bowl LII this Sunday, February 4. Usually the biggest TV event of the year, Super Bowl commands a king’s ransom in fees for advertisers, reportedly $5 million for a 30-second spot according to Sports Illustrated. Monsters ad? A full 60-second spot.

See more on Monster’s super expensive Super Bowl ad… [Read more…] about Monster Throws a ‘Hail Mary,’ Pays Millions for Super Bowl Ad

Monster & Noel Lee Must Pay Beats Nearly $8M in Legal Fees

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On a Roll, Beats Files New Lawsuit Against Monster Seeking $100 Million

Photo of Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine
Dr. Dre & Jimmy Iovine of Beats

While you were drinking your eggnog or otherwise enjoying your holidays, the Grinch stole all the good cheer from Monster LLC and owner Noel Lee when a jury in the case of Monster LLC v. Beats, et al agreed with Beats and ordered Monster and  Lee to pay them $7,916,201.64 as reimbursement for their legal expenses.

And Beats has more bad news for the Monster camp… [Read more…] about Monster & Noel Lee Must Pay Beats Nearly $8M in Legal Fees

Sonos to Seek Injunction to Stop HEOS Sales of ‘Infringing Technology’

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BREAKING NEWS

Case May Have Major Impact on Wireless Speaker Business

Exhibit F Sonos MotionAs we recently reported, a federal jury gave Sonos a sweeping victory in the first “bellwether trial” in Sonos Inc. v. D&M Holdings Inc. et al, siding with Sonos on all counts and awarding them nearly $2 million in damages. Furthermore, the jury affirmed the validity of the three Sonos patents at issue, and disagreed with D&M’s assertion that the patents were not valid.

Strata-gee spoke with both sides of this case and, this decision notwithstanding, neither appears ready to back down, even as this is just the first of what will ultimately be three trials in the case – two where Sonos is the plaintiff, and a countersuit by D&M Holdings where they will be the plaintiff. Sonos won round one, but this is a multi-round fight.

Both Sonos and D&M Holdings talk to Strata-gee in wake of trial verdict… [Read more…] about Sonos to Seek Injunction to Stop HEOS Sales of ‘Infringing Technology’

Verdict: ‘Denon Directly Infringed’ on Sonos Patents

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BREAKING NEWS

Jury Finds for Sonos on All Counts; Denon Claims of Invalidity Vanquished

Sonos logoLast Friday, after a full week of testimony, evidence, deposition playbacks, and attorney posturing, members of the jury listened closely as Judge William C. Bryson delivered instructions designed to clarify their deliberative process and their duty as “finders of fact” in the matter of Sonos, Inc. v. D&M Holdings Inc. d/b/a/The D+M Group, D&M Holdings U.S. Inc., and Denon Electronics (USA), LLC. The judges verbal instructions took a while to relay, as the reality is that patent disputes can be quite complex and the issues of intellectual property quite nuanced yet important.

In written form, which the Judge provided the jury for their easy referral, his instructions ran a full 27-pages long. After considering it all, the jury came back with a finding in favor of Sonos on all counts – and delivered an award to Sonos of just under $2 million for damages.

See more on this conclusion to a three year litigation… [Read more…] about Verdict: ‘Denon Directly Infringed’ on Sonos Patents