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Surely spam will smell of erm.... SPAM !

He's trying to make the point that he's worried about the widespread proliferation of canned meats, as apposed to everyone's first, incorrect assumption, that he is talking about unsolicited email.

He's trying to make the point that he's worried about the widespread proliferation of canned meats, as apposed to everyone's first, incorrect assumption, that he is talking about unsolicited email.

The subject line ought to read:

"City Of Austin (Texas) Migrating To OpenOffice.org."

Otherwise there may be confusion with Austin, Minnesota ... home of Hormel Foods, maker of Spam.

-kgj

Is it just me, or does the title of this Act serve as advertisement for a certain company. Personally, I'm opposed to government endorsement of large companies ;-)

Is there a such thing as light spam? Because if there is, you know, maybe it would easier to start with that...

Oooh, and I just found the link to their page about spam vs SPAM.

I'm still waiting...For the Hormel company to file for patent infringement for the use of the word Spam ...They've been making spam since 1937, long before the internet was around

(not that their site isn't high tech :) )...

Harumph!

How many Slashdot articles will refer to "SPAM" when they really mean "spam"?

And now we've gone from idiots who use SPAM (a trademark of the Hormel product) instead of spam. In the future, why not use the contemporary term UBE (unsolicited bulk email) ? Even UCE is incorrect because ommercial does not cover all forms of garbage. Be prepared for the next election(s) - many of the candidates have staffs seeking people who will blast information out to everyone, even if they aren't in the catchment area of the candidate; i.e., be prepared for UBE from Dave running for Dog Catcher in Tempe, AZ, not just the national-level candidates. One California (governor) candidate in the last election hired a spammer who when asked if they could send it just to people in Ca said, "Sure!" and you can guess the results.

What irritates me more is when people refer to junk email as "SPAM" instead of "spam"

actually, isn't that part of hormel's deal? we can continue to call UBE (insert full stops as required) SPAM as long as we capitalise it and they won't complain or try to sue anyone over dilution of trademark etc. (ie as spam is actually a product they sell).

It's the other way around. Hormel has a trademark on 'SPAM' and would prefer UBE to be called 'spam'. See the SPAM website for more info.

Because that's how Hormel spells it.

The mystery is revealed. It is the The Hormel Food Company!

Acually, if you write it in all caps, you are infringing on a Hormel Foods trademark, SPAM.

You know, the canned lunch meat?

First, let me state that I'm sure Hormel doesn't mind being associated with UCE if it's pornographic UCE, especially gay kiddie porn, as they have already publicly done so with the San Francisco-based Hormel Library.
I suggest that we continue to call all unwanted email SPAM (make sure we get the case right, so as to match the way they describe their trademark), and good mail can be called Treet. Treet is just as good as SPAM, and none of the proceeds go towards the promotion of child molestation.
Let them stop products from using the name, while casual conversation, which is not bound by copyright law, specifically associates them with bad things, in comparison to their competitors. I don't care if James Hormel wants to get sexual gratifaction with another man. By the time somebody's grown up, if that's what they like, it's sad, but not as sad as denying them the right to love who they love. It's his predilection for young boys, and particularly his work to legitimize that pathological condition, that removes him from the ranks of humanity.

OMFG! A Talking Goat. Like there are not enough human idiots here on Slashdot. Read your own quote, stupid! "...trademarks used... in this site... are owned by Hormel Foods: ... any... SPAM-derived terms...". So if you see SPAMWHORE on Hormel's site, be advised that this is most probably their trademark. The reason is that they are talking about THEIR PRODUCTS on this site, and I guess they would register a trademark before introducing the product on the market and discussing it on the site.

So if you make up the word SPAMSTUPIDTALKINGGOAT, it is unlikely to be used on spam.com.

When does thinking before posting ever come to the mind of an average Slashdot reader?

http://www.spam.com/ci/ci_in.htm

In particular, an excerpt on how they want it used:

We do not object to use of this slang term to describe UCE, although we do object to the use of our product image in association with that term. Also, if the term is to be used, it should be used in all lower-case letters to distinguish it from our trademark SPAM, which should be used with all uppercase letters.

Now this is where it gets good, because this is the statement on whether it diminishes trademark (emphasis is mine):

This slang term does not affect the strength of our trademark SPAM. In a Federal District Court case involving the famous trademark STAR WARS owned by LucasFilms, the Court ruled that the slang term used to refer to the Strategic Defense Initiative did not weaken the trademark and the Court refused to stop its use as a slang term. Other examples of famous trademarks having a different slang meaning include MICKEY MOUSE, to describe something as unsophisticated; TEFLON, used to describe President Reagan; and CADILLAC, used to denote something as being high quality.

In short, it's interesting that, despite saying this on their website, they'd slap (or is that SLAPP here?) somebody in the face about this.

According to Hormel it all started with a Monty Python skit.

You can read more about it on their website.

From the timeline on their webpage:

1937: SPAM is born! The first can of SPAM rolls off the production line. Originally called HORMEL Spiced Ham, the comapny holds a contest to create a name as distinctive as the taste. B combining the "sp" from spiced with the "am" from ham, the winner comes up with SPAM. Top prize: $100.

So there you have it: "SPiced hAM" => SPAM. And to think some dude only got 100 bones for that name. If only he knew what he started...

Hum spam.com

Note: UCE stated means: "unsolicited commercial email"

We do not object to use of this slang term to describe UCE, although we do object to the use of our product image in association with that term. Also, if the term is to be used, it should be used in all lower-case letters to distinguish it from our trademark SPAM, which should be used with all uppercase letters.

Ah, I forgot about that other hand, again!

If people had read the article on their website regarding use of their tradmark name SPAM, they would also realise how reasonable the company has been [or had to be :) .]

"We do not object to use of this slang term to describe UCE, although we do object to the use of our product image in association with that term. Also, if the term is to be used, it should be used in all lower-case letters to distinguish it from our trademark SPAM, which should be used with all uppercase letters.

This slang term does not affect the strength of our trademark SPAM. In a Federal District Court case involving the famous trademark STAR WARS owned by LucasFilms, the Court ruled that the slang term used to refer to the Strategic Defense Initiative did not weaken the trademark and the Court refused to stop its use as a slang term. Other examples of famous trademarks having a different slang meaning include MICKEY MOUSE, to describe something as unsophisticated; TEFLON, used to describe President Reagan; and CADILLAC, used to denote something as being high quality."

But isn't it too late for this? Haven't they been negligent?

No. Hormel has been very clear for years about using the word spam...err..SPAM(tm).

5. Trademark Information. The following trademarks used or which are planned to be used in this site, whether registered or unregistered, are owned by Hormel Foods: SPAM; HORMEL; SPAMBURGER; SPAMTASTIC and any other SPAM-derived terms.

• Spam Museum
• The Official SPAM Home Page
• Spam Carving Contest
• Amazing and Fabulous Spam Site
• Uncle Mikey's House of Spam
• The Ultimate SPAM gift catalog
• Bob Bragner's "Hormhell" page
• Uncle Kevin's Spam page
• Spamland
• on and on...

The Austin, Minn., food company, which introduced Spam in 1937, challenged Spam Arrest's applications to trademark its company name.

They aren't suing because they use the word "Spam" in their company name, it is the fact they are trying to get a trademark of their company name (Spam Arrest), which Hormel is trying to stop. The use of the word "spam" to refer to junk email has already been addressed by them. This time, it is in regards to somebody using their trademark in a manner they have not approved of.

Not only that, they have historically actively encouraged the use of their name for UCE. I have read numerous articles in which Hormel representatives said it was fine with them and they even had a good humour about it. They even took the trouble to put up this website clarifying their position. They said as long as the name is not in all caps and their product image is not used, they do not care.

No, Hormel is not suing Spamarrest over their name.

Hormel is opposing Spamarrest's attempt to TRADEMARK "Spamarrest".

It is clearly stated in the article. The /. editors did not read the article, just the submission, which was TOTALLY WRONG!

Hormel has been pretty damn cool about the whole "spam as email/SPAM as meat" thing - go look at their web page about it.

What happened to:

"We do not object to use of this slang term to describe UCE, although we do object to the use of our product image in association with that term. Also, if the term is to be used, it should be used in all lower-case letters to distinguish it from our trademark SPAM, which should be used with all uppercase letters."

We do not object to use of this slang term to describe UCE, although we do object to the use of our product image in association with that term.

Hate Microsoft; hate spam.
Hate Microsoft; hate spam.
Evil greedy corporation; slimy pollution of the Internet.
Illegally abusing their monopoly; illegally hijacking servers.
Overpriced software; lowest mortgage rates ever.
Bug-ridden products; barnyard porn.
Embrace and extend; extend your manhood.
No concept of security; special offers on SystemWorks 2003.
Never innovating; always innovating.

I'm siding with Microsoft.

*sob*

FTC's current attempts at curtailing E-mail SPAM.

Please, don't refer to email spam in all caps. SPAM(tm) is a trademark of Hormel Foods, who have been quite good-natured about the use of the term to describe bulk email.

Small note.

SPAM is a meat product which is copyright of hormel.

They have an article on the way they would like the word to be used.
(in lowercase letters when not referring to them)

Of course I'm just being anal-retentive here so feel free to ignore me.

Idiots.

I think you meant to say SPAM, in all caps. Quoth the site,

We do not object to use of this slang term to describe UCE, although we do object to the use of our product image in association with that term. Also, if the term is to be used, it should be used in all lower-case letters to distinguish it from our trademark SPAM, which should be used with all uppercase letters.

They explain it pretty well here.

Heres what Hormel has to say on the subject of spam.

Actually, Spam, has been around for over 100 years...just check the spam museum!

Hormel was started in 1891...way more than 25 years...in fact, last year the 6 billionth can of spam was made!

http://www.spam.com/ci/ci_in.htm

We do not object to use of this slang term to describe UCE, although we do object to the use of our product image in association with that term. Also, if the term is to be used, it should be used in all lower-case letters to distinguish it from our trademark SPAM, which should be used with all uppercase letters.

This slang term does not affect the strength of our trademark SPAM. In a Federal District Court case involving the famous trademark STAR WARS owned by LucasFilms, the Court ruled that the slang term used to refer to the Strategic Defense Initiative did not weaken the trademark and the Court refused to stop its use as a slang term. Other examples of famous trademarks having a different slang meaning include MICKEY MOUSE, to describe something as unsophisticated; TEFLON, used to describe President Reagan; and CADILLAC, used to denote something as being high quality.

Who knew capitalization was so important outside an English class? From the official SPAM site:

"We oppose the act of "spamming" or sending unsolicited commercial e-mail (UCE). We have never engaged in this practice, although we have been victimized by it. If you have been one of those who has received UCE with a return address using our website address of SPAM.com, it wasn't us. It's easy and commonplace for somebody sending UCE to simply adopt a fake header ID, which disguises the true source of the UCE and makes it appear that it is coming from someone else. If you have or do receive UCE with this header ID, please understand that it didn't come from us."

Heres how they feel about it

All these damn spam fanboys are ruining the net!

Same way as kleenex,xerox and hormel(spam) have done.

Actually, Hormel has, in fact, stated that they don't mind the use of Spam to describe unwanted e-mail.

Nee, nee... du mengs SPAM ;-)

Huh? In case you haven't been paying attention lately, Ralsky's in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and he appears to have goons in Colorado and Georgia. I'd post links to the recent (and repeated) slashdot postings about this, but someone would surely flay me alive for it.

And what does SPAM have to do with Chinese food in Cambridge?

Why not send him some actual spam, or even better... Spam Less :)
Found some over there(am not affiliated, blah, blah, blah.)

A few hundred (or thousands) of cans of SPAM (http://www.spam.com/) might be appropriate ;-)

How about we take up a collection and send him a truck load of SPAM as in the canned meat like product?

We just have to set up something like a PayPal account to contribute to, and contact Hormel, and have them deliver a truck load to his home.

Hormel's 'Spam and the Internet' page.