Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site osiris.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!whuxl!whuxlm!harpo!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!umcp-cs!aplvax!osiris!jcp
From: jcp@osiris.UUCP (Jody Patilla)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: Tradenames used as generic nouns
Message-ID: <197@osiris.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 24-Mar-85 09:46:48 EST
Article-I.D.: osiris.197
Posted: Sun Mar 24 09:46:48 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 28-Mar-85 00:02:43 EST
References: <246@rtech.ARPA>
Distribution: net
Organization: Johns Hopkins Hospital
Lines: 17

> Some tradenames are commonly used as generic terms.  If a company that
> owns a tradename doesn't actively protect it when other companies use it,
> then a court can rule that the name has become part of the language (i.e.
> a generic), at least in the U.S.  Here are some examples of tradenames

	"Zipper" is an example of a word that went generic awhile back. Note
that the Army still refers to these items as "Fasteners, Interlocking Slide".

	Xerox the company has been waging a small war against people using
the word "xerox" instead of "photocopy" because they are in serious danger
of losing their trademark status.
-- 
  

jcpatilla

"'Get stuffed !', the Harlequin replied ..."