List of generic and genericized trademarks
List of generic trademarks
The following list contains marks which were originally created and used as trademarks, but which have subsequently become synonymous with the common name of the relevant product or service. They have become so generic that their former status as proprietary trademarks is often unknown to the general public. Such marks may therefore be considered "fully generic", whereas genericized marks which are at risk of becoming generic are listed in the next section.
- Cellophane[1] – Originally a trademark of DuPont[2]
- Crock pot – Crock-Pot is sold by Rival Industries, but "crock pot" and "crockpot" are common synonyms used by cooks to describe slow cookers[3]
- Dry ice[4] – Trademarked by the Dry Ice Corporation of America in 1925[5]
- Escalator – Originally a trademark of Otis Elevator Company[6]
- Heroin[7] – Trademarked by Friedrich Bayer & Co in 1898[8]
- Kerosene[9] – First used around 1852
- Lanolin – Trademarked as the term for a preparation of sheep fat and water[10]
- Linoleum – Floor covering[11]
- Mimeograph[12] – Originally trademarked by Albert Dick
- Pilates exercise system – United States trademark formally canceled by court in 2000[13]
- Touch-tone – Dual tone multi-frequency telephone signaling; AT&T states "formerly a trademark of AT&T"[14]
- Trampoline – Originally trademarked by George Nissen[15][16]
- Webster's Dictionary – The publishers with the strongest link to the original are Merriam-Webster, but they have a trademark only on "Merriam-Webster", and other dictionaries are legally published as "Webster's Dictionary"[17]
- Zipper – Originally a trademark of B.F. Goodrich[18]
List of frequently misused trademarks
Trademarks in this list are still registered as trademarks (except where noted), but are sometimes misused in a generic sense. The previous list contains former trademarks that no longer have legal status, while the following list comprises those marks which have been registered as trademarks, and which continue in use and are actively enforced by their trademark owners. It is improper to use these generically (except where noted by country).
None of these marks should be regarded as legally abandoned or in the public domain, and therefore each should always be capitalized. Writing guides such as the AP Stylebook advise writers to "use a generic equivalent unless the trademark is essential to the story."
| Trademark or Brand Name | Generic name | Trademark owner | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adrenalin | epinephrine | Parke, Davis & Co | Widely referred to as "adrenaline" outside of the U.S., and in the BAN and EP systems | |
| Aspirin | acetylsalicylic acid or aspirin in some countries | Bayer | Declared generic in the U.S. in 1923 and elsewhere; still a protected trademark in about 80 countries, including Canada and many countries in Europe[19] | |
| Band-Aid | adhesive bandage | Johnson & Johnson | ||
| Bridgeport | milling machine | Bridgeport Machines, Inc., a subsidiary of Hardinge, Inc.[20] | U.S. | |
| Biro | ballpoint pen | BIC | UK, Australia, New Zealand usage | |
| Bubble Wrap | air-filled plastic wrapper | Sealed Air Corporation | ||
| Coke | cola, soft drink, pop, or soda | The Coca-Cola Company | Generic term varies regionally | |
| Esky | cooler | Nylex | Australian usage | |
| Frisbee | flying disc | Wham-O | ||
| Hacky Sack | footbag | Wham-O | ||
| Hills Hoist | Rotary Clothes Line | Hills Industries | Australian useage | |
| Hoover | vacuum cleaner | The Hoover Company | UK usage | |
| Jacuzzi | hot tub or whirlpool bath | Jacuzzi Inc. | ||
| Jell-O | gelatin | Kraft Foods | The Jell-O brand also encompasses pudding products | |
| JumboTron | large-screen television technology | Sony | ||
| Kleenex | facial tissue | Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. | ||
| LEGO | building bricks or building toys | The LEGO Group | These are also often called "LEGOs" | |
| Mace | pepper spray or tear gas | Mace Security International | ||
| Photoshop | Photo manipulation | Adobe Systems | ||
| Ping Pong | table tennis | Parker Brothers | ||
| Popsicle | ice pop | Unilever | ||
| Post-it | sticky notes | 3M | Also "repositionable" or "repositional notes" | |
| Q-tips | cotton swabs | Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. | ||
| REALTOR | real estate broker, salesperson, agent, trader, etc. | National Association of Realtors | Trademarked in the U.S. | |
| Rollerblade | inline skates | Nordica | ||
| Rolodex | rotary card file | Newell Rubbermaid | ||
| Saran Wrap | plastic wrap | Dow Chemical Company | U.S., Canada | |
| Scotch Tape | adhesive tape | 3M | U.S., Russia, Romania | |
| Sellotape | adhesive tape | Henkel Consumer Adhesives | UK, Turkey | |
| Sheetrock | drywall | US Gypsum | ||
| Speedo | swim briefs | Speedo | Similar swimsuits are manufactured by other companies, notably TYR & Nike, but still known in swimming circles as "Speedos" | |
| Styrofoam | polystyrene thermal insulation | Dow Chemical Company | ||
| Tannoy | public address system | Tannoy Ltd. | UK usage | |
| Popsicle | ice pop | Frank Eperson | Has come to mean any ice pop in America & Canada. | |
| Thermos | vacuum flask | Thermos GmbH[21] | Declared generic in the U.S. in 1963[22] | |
| Xerox | photocopier or to make a photocopy | Xerox | Xerox has used "trademark awareness" advertisements to prevent the brand from becoming a generic noun or verb, including such statements as "You can't make a xerox."[23] | |
| Vaseline | petroleum jelly | Unilever | ||
| Velcro | hook-and-loop fastener or touch fastener | Velcro USA Inc. | ||
| Xerox | photocopy/photocopier | Xerox | Common in Russian-speaking countries, Romania | |
| Yo-Yo | spinning toy | Papa's Toy Co. Ltd. | Declared generic in the U.S. in 1965;[24] valid in Canada | |
| Zamboni | ice resurfacer | Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. |
Notes
- ^ Cellophane – Definitions from Dictionary.com
- ^ Mills, Turansky, & Griffith
- ^ "Is Slow Cooker Synonymous with Crock-Pot?". Food News Service. Retrieved 2008-01-24.
- ^ dry ice. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000
- ^ Dry Ice – Who Invented Dry Ice?
- ^ Human Interest
- ^ heroin – Definitions from Dictionary.com
- ^ Online Etymology Dictionary
- ^ kerosene – Definitions from Dictionary.com
- ^ Jaffe v. Evans & Sons, Ltd., U.S. (Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department, New York March 21, 1902).
- ^ linoleum. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000
- ^ mimeograph. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000
- ^ "Pilates Trademark Lawsuit makes "Pilates" available for public use". Pilates.com. Retrieved 2008-01-24.
- ^ "Centrex Service". Retrieved 2008-01-24.
- ^ Inventor of the Week: Archive
- ^ West View Trampoline Community – Trampoline History
- ^ "Merriam-Webster FAQ". Retrieved 2008-01-24.
- ^ zipper – Definitions from Dictionary.com
- ^ Aspirin FAQs, Bayer HealthCare website, accessed February 23, 2008
- ^ United States Patent and Trademark Office trademark serial number 72035978, registration number 0672452
- ^ www.thermos.com
- ^ King-Seeley Thermos Co. v. Aladdin Indus., Inc., 321 F.2d 577 (2d Cir. 1963); see also http://www.core.org.cn/NR/rdonlyres/Sloan-School-of-Management/15-628Patents--Copyrights--and-the-Law-of-Intellectual-PropertySpring2003/88A3CE91-A80C-4B1A-A08C-AD975FB54DFA/0/kingseeleythermosvAladdin.pdf
- ^ Ginsburg 2001, pp. 317–318, 322
- ^ Donald F. Duncan, Inc. v. Royal Tops Mfg. Co., 343 F.2d 655 (7th Cir. 1965)