Spam: 'It's a meat,' Hormel insists

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Claiming trademarks...

I have to comment on Seattle attorney Derek Newman's statement that "Spam has become ubiquitous throughout the world to describe unsolicited commercial e-mail. No company can claim trademark rights on a generic term."

Excuse me, but if we're talking about trademarks, the canned meat product, Spam, predates e-mail and the Internet. It is was not a generic term. It was the name of a product well before the word was adopted to describe unwanted e-mail.

Kleenex and TV Guide are also trademarks, but people use them to describe generic products. If you ask for a Kleenex, you just might get a Puffs. All you really care about is getting a facial tissue.

My point is that if a company uses the term Kleenex in its name or as a name for one of its products, then there's a problem: Trademark infringement. That's the point Hormel is trying to make.

By the way, sliced Spam topped with canned cling peaches, baked together for 30 minutes at 375 degrees is WONDERFUL!!! :-D

Posted by: strawbrn   Posted on: 11/03/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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