TMCnet News
Spam Arrest LLC Puts Final Can on Hormel's Spam Trademark Action SEATTLE --(Business Wire)-- May 28, 2004 -- Seattle Company Files Motion for Summary Judgment to End Hormel's Federal Case Relating to the SPAM ARREST TrademarkSpam Arrest LLC, which provides the popular software and services to eliminate e-mail spam, filed a legal brief today to end Hormel's federal trademark action against it. Spam Arrest is the only company ever, except Hormel, to secure a trademark including the word "spam" recorded on the principal United States trademark register. Last year, Hormel filed a petition against Spam Arrest in an effort to cancel the SPAM ARREST trademark registration and stop Spam Arrest's use of the mark. Hormel admits that the term "spam" has become generic for unsolicited commercial email, but has fought every company attempting to use "spam" as part of a trademark. Rather than battle the canned meat giant, countless businesses have surrendered to its demands. "Hormel's long history of intimidation ends today," said Spam Arrest's President, Cameron Elliott. "Nobody would confuse Spam Arrest's cutting edge spam stopping products with Hormel's canned pork. We have every right to use the word 'spam' in our trademark and our filing today should end Hormel's effort to wrongly appropriate the generic term for itself." Seattle attorney Derek Newman, who represents Spam Arrest, said "Spam Arrest's trademark will not dilute Hormel's ability to use SPAM as a unique identifier. All parties acknowledge that Hormel's mark has already lost that ability. This motion for summary judgment should result in Hormel's claims being dismissed." Spam Arrest's filing tells "the story of a successful Minnesota canned meat vendor, six British comedians, a rogues' gallery of unscrupulous email marketers, and a brave legion of computer programmers determined to defend the public against an onslaught of unwanted email." The motion is available for public review and download on the Internet at http://spamarrest.com/HormelSummaryJudgment.pdf. About Spam Arrest Spam Arrest LLC is a Seattle-based company that has developed an efficient, simple and inexpensive system that stops spam. The company has been growing substantially since the launch of its product. Software download is not required and the system is not intrusive. After a sender's first message to a Spam Arrest subscriber is verified, there is no further interaction. Subscribers may also pre-authorize senders. Spam Arrest continually monitors automated junk email techniques and upgrades automatically as necessary to protect its subscribers. For more information visit http://www.spamarrest.com or email [email protected]. For Interviews or Questions: Cameron Elliott, President of Spam Arrest LLC, by email at [email protected]. Derek A. Newman of Newman & Newman, LLP, attorney for Spam Arrest LLC, 206-274-2800. |
