Hormel loses latest trademark battle.
Hormel Foods Corp.
, inventor and manufacturer of the world-famous canned meat product
SPAM
, has lost a lawsuit against Seattle-based company
Spam Arrest
in which it called for the company to drop the word ‘Spam’ from its name, arguing that it damages the trademark associated with the luncheon meat.
Hormel
is famously protective of the word ‘spam’, having trademarked the word in upper case letters and having launched several previous attempts to prevent other companies from using the word as part of their names or trademarks.
This time it was the US Trademark Trial and Appeal Board that ruled against
Hormel
, saying that consumers of canned
SPAM
were unlikely to confuse it with the
Spam Arrest
anti-spam software.
Spam Arrest
‘s attorney is reported to have said that the decision opens the door for other anti-spam software companies to incorporate the word ‘spam’ into their trademarked product names.
Hormel
was said to be disappointed with the outcome and reviewing its options, including an appeal.
Posted on 03 December 2007 by
Virus Bulletin
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