Rights granted to an owner of a trade or service mark which permit the owner to use a mark, and to exclude all others from using the same or a similar mark in a similar manner. For example, Hormel, the owner of the trademark SPAM, can stop any other company from using the word SPAM on meat products. Also, since the mark SPAM is a famous mark, Hormel could theoretically stop the use of SPAM in the many degrading contexts in which it currently is being used based on dilution law. However, as a practical matter, stopping such use may not be feasible, given the widespread use of the word on the Internet, not to mention the public relations problems Hormel would face if it tried to do so.
