If you find pork delicious you also love spam

It seems the makers of Spam lunch meat are fed up.

For years, the Hormel Foods Corp. has watched as the name of its famous and popular product also has come to mean junk e-mail, a source of heartburn and anger for computer users everywhere.

Unable to stuff this problem back into the can, Hormel is instead doing what companies often do: asserting its trademark rights. Claiming dilution of the trademarked name Spam, the company has filed complaints against Spam Arrest LLC, a Seattle technology company that provides spam-blocking software for e-mail users.

The Minnesota-based food company, which as of a year ago had sold 6 billion cans of Spam since it was introduced in 1937, challenged Spam Arrest's applications to trademark its own company name.

In a filing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Hormel argued that it has engendered "substantial goodwill and good reputation" in connection with its trademarked lunch meat and related products that would be damaged by Spam Arrest's use of the term. The company added that Spam Arrest's name so closely resembles that of its lunch meat that the public might become confused, or might think that Hormel endorses Spam Arrest's products.

The challenges involve two separate applications by Spam Arrest to trademark its name as both a software provider and a services vendor. One has been pending for several months, and the second was filed last week, according to Spam Arrest, which made available a copy of the original complaint. Both will be heard by the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, though no date has been set. Hormel officials did not return several messages yesterday seeking comment.

On its Web site, the company states that it does not object to use of the word spam as a "slang term," as long as pictures of the meat are not used with such references.

Spam Arrest officials scoffed at Hormel's challenge. "Hormel is acting like a corporate crybaby and ought to can it," Brian Cartmell, Spam Arrest chief executive, said in a statement.

Trademark lawyers were skeptical that Hormel could prevail. "The problem that Hormel has is that the word has come to have a different meaning and has become adopted so widely that it is going to be difficult if not impossible for Hormel to prevail," said John W. Caldwell, a Philadelphia patent and trademark lawyer.

Caldwell cited other examples, such as cellophane and the countertop material Formica, that have become ubiquitous.

Early Internet users coined the term spam to describe junk e-mail after a skit by the comedy group Monty Python. In the routine, a group of patrons at a restaurant chant the word "spam" in louder and louder volume, drowning out other conversation.

Source: The Washington Post

 

no body like spam there just trying to make money since no one like spam let sue

thats one thing i hate about our country every one sues and it usualy for stupit stuff.

heres just a few examples of what we let go on.

even do i know my coffe is hot and im driveing with one hand on the wheel im going to decide to take off the lid opps i wasnt watching what i was doing spilt hot coffe all over me must be mc donalds fault or star bucks
all because i dont use common since

or how bout this one a man fall threw a skylight while atempting to robe a home he is armed has a gun but because he hurt him self on your property while trying to rob you he can sue and win.


heres another one whinston has had it cigrit trade mark for over like 40 years or so

some guy who wasnt even born during that time goes and patens the name now whinston has to change its name.

some guy trys to sue all fast food places because fast food is bad for you.

these things are a small list what we let go on

it goes on and on sad thing is we the people have all the power to boot these people out of office change laws all kinds of stuff but we dont

honestly i think we have become lazy no one wants to hear it attitude or im one person what can i do.

so in the end i think we deserve what hapoends to us for all the ighnore it will go alway attitude we have lol

 

Some people use to sue
Don’t matter if it’s false or true
They got the best lawyer
Sure, he would take over.

Uguel