Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!vsi!friedl
From: friedl@vsi.UUCP (Stephen J. Friedl)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: UNIX or Unix
Message-ID: <474@vsi.UUCP>
Date: 2 Apr 88 09:23:22 GMT
References: <7763@alice.UUCP> <485@flatline.UUCP> <3563@cbmvax.UUCP>
Organization: V-Systems, Inc. -- Santa Ana, CA
Lines: 26

In article <3563@cbmvax.UUCP>, grr@cbmvax.UUCP (George Robbins) writes:
> In article <485@flatline.UUCP> erict@flatline.UUCP (eric townsend) writes:
> > 
> > Anybody ever notice the number of ads taken out by big corps in press/media
> > related magazines that state: `"Foo" is a trademark of Foo, Inc.  Don't say
> > "Foo", say "bah" -- the common noun`?
> 
> To keep a trademark the company has to show that it *has not* fallen into
> common usage and that the company has defended it's trademark against
> infringement.  A trademark like "Xerox" can be preserved only as long as
> the lawyers dance fast enough, while one like "Coke" requires only occasional
> object lessons that Coke doesn't mean "generic cola drink".

I believe the list of trademarks-gone-generic includes (notice no
initial caps) aspirin, linoleum, cellophane, trampoline,
probably lots others; my guess is that Jacuzzi and Magic Marker
are the next to fall.

Isn't is a nice world we live in where such phononemal marketing
success is met with such a fate?  Next thing you know Xerox will
be forced to license their toner patents to anybody who asks on
anti-monopoly grounds....    Naaaa, never in America.

-- 
Steve Friedl             V-Systems, Inc.              *Hi Mom*
friedl@vsi.com {uunet,ihnp4}!vsi.com!friedl attmail!vsi!friedl