Spam Lawsuit's Last Laugh is at Hormel's Expense

Brian Cartmell writes "An article at the Minneapolis — StarTribune site covers a significant setback for the Hormel food company, in a case that's being closely watched by security companies across the country. Seattle-based Spam Arrest has gone up against the creator of the food substance in court, fighting for the right to use the word spam in its company name. The US Trademark Trial and Appeal board has sided with the spam fighters, agreeing that consumers of the Spam product would never confuse the food with junk email. 'Derek Newman, Spam Arrest's attorney, said the decision opens the door for many other anti-spam software companies ... "Spam Arrest fought this battle for the whole software industry," Newman said.'"

Oh I beg to differ!

[Rik Sweeney]

consumers of the Spam product would never confuse the food with junk email

I went to see Spam-a-lot in the theatre. Much to my horror it wasn't about junk email or an out of control food product, it was about some bloody knights or something like that.

I'm going to appeal.

Oh

[goldaryn]

And all this time I thought the emails "Give her more meat" were from Hormel..

Settlement suggestion

[ciaohound]

Spam Arrest could change their name to Arrest Arrest Arrest Arrest Spam Arrest; that's got less spam in it.

Sure and that's what Apple said about Apple too

[dtjohnson]

Apple Records (a 'music' company) sued Apple Computer (a 'computer' company) over the name thing. Apple Records initially didn't do much about Steve Jobs use of their name back when Apple records was the big dog and Apple Computer was a nobody because no one would ever confuse computers with music. Right. Apple Records has pretty much been eclipsed by Apple Computer now and Jobs won the latest trademark dispute thanks to so many years of using the Apple name. Hormel will lose their famous 'SPAM' brand if they don't fight (and they may still lose it anyway even if they do.) If Hormel loses, we will no longer know if we are getting the genuine SPAM, or an imitator, when we go the supermarket.

Re:At whose expense?

[somersault]

Well their cans have cut enough people anyway, serves them right.

And spam is spam precisely because of the negative connotations. How are they going to market that? Buy our processed meat! It's like junk mail, but you can eat it!

Re:Sure and that's what Apple said about Apple too

[technobabblingfool]

If Hormel loses, we will no longer know if we are getting the genuine SPAM, or an imitator, when we go the supermarket.

Now that's funny.

Re:About that Icon...

[cromar]

Well... who would argue with that analogy?

Re:Sucks for Hormel...

[PhxBlue]

Their 60-odd year old brand name has, through no fault of their own, become inextricably associated with a massive, universally despised, worldwide problem.

Clearly you've never eaten SPAM.

Re:Well, that's just sad.

[Huntr]

In that case they should call it "New Coke."

Explanatory link [wikipedia.org], for you young'uns.

Re:Settlement suggestion

[LrdDimwit]

Look, you can't have spam-email-n-websites without spam ...