The European Office of Trade Marks and Designs has knocked back the application from Hormel, the maker of the ham in a can Spam, to trademark “spam” with regards to “services to avoid or suppress unsolicited emails”, and the “creation and maintenance of computer software; technical consultancy, particularly in combination with network services; [and] providing of expertise, engineering services and technical consulting services [related to junk email]”.

The company has been embroiled in a string of trademark disputes over the matter in the United States and elsewhere, fighting product names such as SpamBop, Spam Arrest, and Spam Cube. “We do not object to use of this slang term to describe (unsolicited commercial email),” the company said on its website, “although we do object to the use of the word “spam” as a trademark and to the use of our product image in association with that term.” [Spam-maker loses bid to trademark ’spam’ - smh.com.au]

While I’m happy about the outcome as “spam” has been generified for unsolicited correspondence, can’t really them blame trying though, as Hormel point out:

“Ultimately, we are trying to avoid the day when the consuming public asks, ‘Why would Hormel Foods name its product after junk email?’” [SMH link again]

Shall be interesting to see how they fare in other jurisdictions and what implications that has for Apple’s recent clampdown on “pod” (like five years too late!)

[Edit Spambop claims to be the first EU trademark using spam for this use].

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