Silicon.com: Spam King ladies pants plans pulled down by meat maker
Scott Richter, self-described "Spam King," has been asked by Hormel - maker of the protein-in-a-tin wartime expediency that became a popular snack - to stop using its trademark for a line of clothing. The novelty spam clothes allegedly included panties with a propensity to violate intellectual property. Richter said he wouldn't fight the matter at this time.
Hormel has found over the years that Spam has become an oft-favored non-sequitor word, appearing in strange places, such as Monty Python skits and on cultish early websites, where the gelled meat's brand name was likely adhered to the meaning it currently holds: unsolicited junk email. Hormel has stated on its site that it does not object to the use of the word, which puts it in a strange position in this panties matter.
"We don't appreciate it when someone else tries to make money on the goodwill that we created in our trademark," stated the company on its site. "Ultimately, we are trying to avoid the day when the consuming public asks, 'Why would Hormel Foods name its product after junk email?'"
