In a tweet today, NFT trademark attorney Michael Kondoudis revealed that branded food giant Hormel Foods has filed five new trademark applications for federal trademark protection for its SPAM, PLANTERS, MR. PEANUT, SKIPPY, and HORMEL brands The applications were submitted to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on July 6, 2022, and signal plans by the global food giant to expand their brands into:

• Downloadable multimedia files containing artwork, text, audio, and video relating to food and beverages, authenticated by non-fungible tokens (NFTs); downloadable virtual goods, namely food and beverage products for use in virtual worlds

• Online retail grocery store services featuring virtual food and beverage products for use in online virtual worlds; provision of an online marketplace for buyers and sellers of downloadable digital art images, video and audio clips, authenticated by non-fungible tokens

• Entertainment services, namely, online, non-downloadable virtual food and beverage products for use in virtual worlds

"Hormel owns many well-known food brands and is itself a leading food brand. As a result, significant value is attached to these brand names." Mr. Kondoudis says. "These filings are the next logical step to protect these brands as Hormel expands into the Metaverse."

"Clearly, Hormel sees the potential of the Metaverse and is preparing its trademarks and brands for the virtual economy that will dominate it," Mr. Kondoudis opined.

Mr. Kondoudis adds that "perhaps the most interesting aspect of these applications is that they appear to follow a new trend of NFT and Metaverse trademark filings by major food manufacturers. For example, Kraft filed similar applications last month for its KOOL-AID, OSCAR MEYER, and JELL-O brands.

"We expect the number of trademark filings for NFT and virtual products and services to increase in the next twelve months as brands come to appreciate the need for protection in the Metaverse," Mr. Kondoudis concluded.

Michael Kondoudis is a Washington DC-based trademark lawyer who tracks Metaverse and NFT trademark filings at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Mr. Kondoudis does not represent Hormel Foods Inc.

https://www.mekiplaw.com/nft-trademark-attorney/

Links to the applications at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

PLANTERS: http://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=97490975&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch

MR. PEANUT: http://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=97490526&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch

SKIPPY: http://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=97490521&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch

SPAM: http://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=97490517&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch

HORMEL: http://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=97490506&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch