You’ve probably seen, heard or even used the term “spamming” to refer to the act of sending unsolicited commercial email (UCE), or “spam” to refer to the UCE itself. Following is our position on the relationship between UCE and our trademark SPAM…. Let’s face it. Today’s teens and young adults are more computer savvy than ever, and the next generations will be even more so. Children will be exposed to the slang term “spam” to describe UCE well before being exposed to our famous product SPAM. Ultimately, we are trying to avoid the day when the consuming public asks, “Why would Hormel Foods name its product after junk e-mail?”
Spam and the Internet (Spam.com)

I can’t say I’m alarmed by the notion that children will be exposed to e-spam before they taste SPAM, but this article is remarkably free of the administrative and legalistic bluster that one usually associates with companies offended by misuse of their trademarks. A tip of the hat to Hormel — this article makes me more sympathetic to a different victim of the spam onslaught. (But the lounge-lizard music on the SPAM home page has got to go.) (Found via KairosNews.)

Share
Published by
Dennis G. Jerz

Recent Posts

Representing the Humanities at Accepted Students Day.

Representing the Humanities at Accepted Students Day.

3 days ago

The daughter opens another show. This weekend only.

The daughter opens another show. This weekend only.

3 days ago

How to Disagree Academically: Using Graham’s “Disagreement Hierarchy” to organize a college term paper.

How to Disagree Academically: Using Graham's "Disagreement Hierarchy" to organize a college term paper.

3 days ago

A.I. ‘Completes’ Keith Haring’s Intentionally Unfinished Painting

After learning of his AIDS diagnosis, artist Keith Haring created the work, "Unfinished Painting" (1989),…

3 days ago

Seton Hill students Emily Vohs, Elizabeth Burns, Jake Carnahan-Curcio and Carolyn Jerz in a scene from “Dead Man’s Cell Phone.”

Seton Hill students Emily Vohs, Elizabeth Burns, Jake Carnahan-Curcio and Carolyn Jerz in a scene…

3 days ago

“The Cowherd Who Became a Poet,” by James Baldwin. (Read by Dennis Jerz)

Inspiration can come to those with the humblest heart. Caedmon the Cowherd believed he had…

4 days ago