The Magnet War’s Latest Salvo: Buckyballs Backs Down [Video]

The brewing geek war between magnet magnates seems coming to a head. Buckyballs owner Jake Bronstein, who recently threatened Zen Magnets with an ” army of lawyers” over their competing product, seems to have a new strategy: Hiding.

For those unfamiliar with the magnetic brouhaha, the spat began when Zen Magnets started selling a comparison pack of both their product and a case of Buckyballs on eBay , so that customers could decide the superior sphere for themselves. Buckyballs head honcho Jake Bronstein immediately left a threatening voicemail with Zen Magnets. And this can be where it gets weird.

Rather than either take Bronstein’s [admittedly idiotic] message seriously and prepare a legal defense, or, perhaps more appropriately, tell him to shove off for being a ludicrous bully, a Zen Magnets rep released a bizarre video rebuttal. The YouTube refute exposes Bronstein’s jerky voicemail-which we’re concerned about, as bogus legal threats are best left to rot inside the sun like the junk they’re-but gradually descends into an odd mix of science and pettiness.

Zen Magnets’ video aims to prove that their product is at the least nearly as good (if not better) than Buckyballs, and that Bronstein’s claims of false advertising are bogus. Which, it sort of feels, they were. But everything is more middle school slap-fight than laboratory dispute. The Zen Magnets video was briefly yanked off YouTube with a BS DMCA takedown, while the remaining of us are wondered what the hell was taking place.

For a little bit clarification, we contacted Zen Magnets, only find that their number has been disconnected. Well! Perhaps they must call Verizon before they call a lawyer.

When we tried turning to Bronstein for a comment, however, it became obvious how flimsy his voicemail legal tantrum really was. Our email was instead met with a reply from a colleague at Buckyballs, who informed us that Bronstein was out of the office and unavailable (although not too unavailable to read my email, ignore it, and forward it to a few other guy). What followed was an inordinately lame attempt at self-deprecation, through forwarded email from Bronstein’s Magnetic Fortress of Solitude:

Our office of 4 voted…my voicemail was off the Douche-o-Meter.

The Youtube video came down because, while my mom likes my photos, it didn’t seem fair for Zen Magnets to exploit them to sell stuff.

Sorry world. It’s not normally the best way we roll.

Also attached was this photo of Bronstein posing with a photoshopped attempt at self-deprecation.







Well, then. That douche-o-meter appears to be properly calibrated.

When we asked what a much better time to contact Bronstein for a snappy chat could be, an analogous Buckyballs employee responded with the next:

Sam:

I think what Jake wrote is our official statement.

Thanks.

Oh! Okay. So your official statement is… essentially nothing. And it might appear your legal claim against Zen Magnets is set an identical. In a battle between two varyingly annoying entities, there’s no clear winner, but I would advise the team at Zen Magnets to not lose any sleep over Bronstein’s impending assault-if he’s unable to field a five minute phone call with us, he’s not likely going to be commanding any armies anytime soon.

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This post is tagged: buckyballs, false advertising, head honcho, jake bronstein, legal threats, new strategy