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Spam King ladies pants plans pulled down by meat maker
This spam ain't big enough for the both of us...

By Jo Best

Published: Friday 18 June 2004

'Spam King' Scott Richter – the world's second biggest spammer, according to SpamHaus – has been told he has to pull his spam-branded line of ladies' undercrackers and other clothing by a US meat-producing conglomerate.

Meat manufacturers Hormel have served the spamlord-turned-pants-promoter with a cease-and-desist letter, saying they have the rights to the word spam – in its original sense of meat in a can.

A notice on the company's spam.com website says that it doesn't object to the use of spam to describe junk email – given its meat trademark is SPAM and is a world of difference away from spam, apparently – but objects to Richter's use of the term.

"We don't appreciate it when someone else tries to make money on the goodwill that we created in our trademark... Ultimately, we are trying to avoid the day when the consuming public asks, 'Why would Hormel Foods name its product after junk email?'" the statement says.

The clothing line, which hit shops in May and sold out in days, will now be put on ice but Richter has reportedly said he may fight for the rights to use the word spam at a later time.

Richter is no stranger to lawsuits. As the proprietor of mass mailing firm OptInRealBig he recently took anti-spammers SpamCop to court claiming blocking his firm sending out spam was an infringement of his constitutional rights.