San Francisco, CA (Top40 Charts/ Fanny Wang Headphone Co.) Just 4-days after launch on December 14, Monster Cable and Beats Electronics (Beats by Dr. Dre) have sued new headphone competitor Fanny Wang Headphone Co. for patent and trade dress infringement (California Northern District Court, Case Number: 3:2010cv05680). Monster Cable and Beats by
Dr. Dre have also filed an injunction to keep Fanny Wang Headphone Co. from attending CES, a major consumer electronics show aimed at introducing new products to retailers and distributors around the world.
Prior to starting the costly manufacturing process of launching a new technology product, co-founders of Fanny Wang Headphone Co. Tim Hickman and David Adam began by researching what consumers desire in audio accessories. The trend of many manufacturers was a unibody style, with vendors including Beats, Shure®, Sony®, Soul® and many others. The Fanny Wang On-Ear Wangs fit the new fashion trend without infringing on any design patents or trade dress rights claimed in the lawsuit.
In response to the lawsuit, Fanny Wang Headphone Co. has posted a public letter to Monster Cable and Beats Electronics countering their claims. The full letter, as well as the lawsuit, is available to read here.
"After initial review of the lawsuit, we have found the claims of patent and trade dress infringement frivolous and unfounded. Monster has claimed they we have copied their packaging, which couldn't be further from the truth. In addition, the idea that Fanny Wang Girlz could be confused with the Beats spokesperson, Dr. Dre, is ridiculous. Looking at Monster Cable's previous litigious behavior, including over 110 lawsuits filed, we believe they are using the litigations as a way to squash competition before it begins," said Tim Hickman, CEO and co-founder of Fanny Wang Headphone Co. "By not allowing Fanny Wang to attend CES and piling on court fees, they will seriously impact the financial health of the company."
Fanny Wang Headphone Co. is a new line of ultra premium headphones, which launched on December 10, 2010. With fashion brands outpacing tech brands over the last year, Fanny Wang is setting itself apart by providing a superior sound, eye-catching style and competitive pricing - the best of fashion and technology for audio. The headphones are available at on the Fanny Wang website.
