Everyday words that are actually brand names
Daniel Coughlin
11 September 2020
Household names people use as generic terms
Making a brand so popular it becomes a generic term is every marketing person's dream, but can also become a nightmare. "Genericisation" is the ultimate marketing accolade, a sign that a household name has universal appeal and is the go-to in its field, but it can also lead to the dreaded "genericide", when a brand loses identity and distinctiveness, not to mention its trademark. Click or scroll through 60 brand names that, for better or worse, have ended up as generic terms.
Kerosene
Canadian physician and geologist Abraham Gesner developed a combustible hydrocarbon liquid in the late 1840s and trademarked the substance as Kerosene in 1854. The trademark held for several decades until it became popular across many countries, including the US, Canada and Australia.
Linoleum
The floor covering we know as linoleum or lino was the first branded product to succumb to genericide. The word, which was coined by English inventor Frederick Walton in 1864, lost its trademark way back in 1878 following a legal challenge.
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Ping pong
The casual name for table tennis is widely used across the world and, noticing its popularity as early as 1901, British manufacturer J. Jacques & Sons decided to trademark “ping pong”. American rights to the name were bought shortly afterwards, before table tennis went on to become the official name for the sport.
Tarmac
Asphalt is known as Tarmac in the UK, Canada and elsewhere, despite actually being a different substance, and an airport runway is referred to "the tarmac" by many people. Tarmac, short for Tarmacadam, was patented by British chemist Edgar Purnell Hooley in 1902 and the UK-based Tarmac company continues to hold the trademark.
Escalator
Otis Elevator Company employee Charles Seeberger invented the escalator and patented the innovation in 1900. Otis controlled the trademark until 1950, when a US court deemed the word to have become the generic term for a moving staircase, and "escalator" passed into the public domain.
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Aspirin
Another early victim of genericide, Aspirin was a registered trademark owned by German pharmaceutical company Bayer until 1919. That year the patent was revoked in several countries including the US, the UK and France, as part of Germany's World War I reparations, and now the name is on different companies' products around the world.
Pogo stick
There isn’t another generic name for these bouncy toys, but “pogo stick” was trademarked back in 1919, with “pogo” rumoured to be a combination of the inventors’ names, Max Pohlig and Ernst Gottschall. Pogo stick makers needn’t worry now though, as the name came into widespread use only a couple of years later.
Jungle gym
Also known as climbing frames or monkey bars, jungle gyms can be found in every kid’s park, but the name has been trademarked for 100 years. In 1920, lawyer Sebastian Hinton made his own climbing frame based on designs by his mathematician father, and coined the term “junglegym” for his creation. As the construction evolved the trademark became lost, but the name is still used a century later.
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Pilates
The exercise method developed by Joseph Pilates in the 1920s was a protected trademark owned by New York's Pilates Studio until 2000, when it was challenged in a Manhattan court. The presiding judge concluded that the term had become generic and the trademark was cancelled.
Dry ice
Carbon dioxide in solid form was trademarked in 1925 as Dry Ice by the Dry Ice Corporation, but the term rapidly became generic and the trademark was revoked in 1932. Luckily, the New Jersey-based company survived and is still going strong today.
Catseyes
The lights studded along busy roads and motorways are commonly referred to as “catseyes”, but that name can only legally be used when referring to one specific brand created in 1934 by Percy Shaw. Companies other than Reflecting Lights Ltd. making similar products have to use more generic names to avoid breaching the trademark.
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Trampoline
Believe it or not, trampoline was once a brand name – the proper generic term for the contraption is actually a rebound tumbler. The first modern trampoline was made in 1936 by US gymnast George Nissen and his trainer Larry Griswold, and trademarked not long after, but the trademark was lost once the word became generic.
Mah-jongg
Now usually known as “mah-jong” with a single “g”, “mah-jongg” was brought to the US after World War I by Joseph P. Babcock, who created and trademarked the name. The tile-based game quickly grew in popularity and “mah-jong” became the typical spelling.
Fibreglass/Fiberglass
The versatile fibre-reinforced resin material was trademarked in 1938 as "Fiberglas" by the Owens Corning company, and while an extra letter has been added in its generic usage, the single 's' trademark is, to this day, the intellectual property of the firm.
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Velcro
Nobody calls the hook and loop fastener by its proper generic name – the fastening system goes by Velcro, a portmanteau of the French words 'velour' ('velvet') and 'crochet' ('hook'). Velcro was invented by Swiss engineer George de Mestral in 1941 and the company he founded still owns the trademark.
Biro
What is known as a ballpoint pen in many countries is widely called a Biro in the UK after its inventor László Bíró (pictured), and un Bic in France. Both names are trademarks of French company Société Bic, which launched the world's best-selling pen in 1950.
Ouija Board
The Ouija Board was launched in 1892 by entrepreneur Elijah Bond as a fun parlour game, but became popular with spiritualists and others as a means of contacting the departed. Hasbro currently owns the trademark, which was registered in 1950 by William Fuld, the son of one of Bond's employees.
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Teleprompter
The device that displays a rolling script or speech is commonly called a teleprompter in North America, a former trademark of the TelePrompTer Company, which introduced the technology in the 1950s.
Autocue
In the UK, and in many European and Commonwealth countries, the device is known as an Autocue after the first company that licensed the technology outside the US. The UK-based firm still holds the trademark, despite its generic usage.
Breathalyzer
The gadget used by police to check a person's blood alcohol level is known the world over as a Breathalyzer, as there's no other term in common usage, but the word was actually trademarked in 1954 by the device's inventor, Indiana State cop Robert Frank Borkenstein (pictured centre).
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TV Dinner
Any dish eaten in front of the television could be called a TV dinner, but the phrase was actually thought up by Swanson Foods in 1954, when the company wanted to give its canned and frozen meals a catchy name. The company had stopped using the phrase eight years later, but it caught on to the extent that it’s still in use today.
Bubble Wrap
Bubble Wrap was invented in 1957 by New Jersey engineers Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes, who fused two shower curtains together to make the protective material. The pair's Sealed Air Corporation trademarked the creation in 1960 and the brand name is still owned by the company.
Frisbee
In 1957 US toy company Wham-O snapped up the trademark for the Frisbee, but the gliding plastic disc didn't become huge until the early 1960s. Despite the ubiquity of the Frisbee and various legal challenges over the years, Wham-O has managed to hold on to the trademark.
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Hula Hoop
Wham-O also introduced the Hula Hoop a year later in 1958. The tubed plastic rings, which were inspired by Australian bamboo exercise rings, fast became a fad and, though the name has become generic, the Hula Hoop trademark is owned by Wham-O and ultimately its parent company InterSport Corp.
Super Glue
The scientific name for Super Glue is cyanoacrylate, which hardly rolls off the tongue, so it's no wonder the brand name has become the generic term for the fast-acting, ultra-strong adhesive. The Super Glue Corporation commercialised the product in 1958 and continues to own the trademark.
Boogie Board
Boogie Board has become the generic term in many countries for a surfing bodyboard, but the name is a trademark that was acquired by Wham-O from inventor Tom Morey more than 30 years ago. In fact, Intersport Corp. served notice in 2016 on several bodyboard makers for infringing the trademark.
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Thermos
The German Thermos company trademarked its vacuum flask in 1923. Having originally encouraged the everyday use of the word Thermos to corner the market, the company went on to defend its trademark, but lost out in 1962 when a US court ruled the term had become generic.
Jiffy Bag
Padded mailers are known as Jiffy Bags in the UK after the company that first produced them. The mailers were launched in 1964 by the Jiffy Packaging company, and are still produced in the firm's factory in Cheshire, England.
Yo-yo
Donald F. Duncan's eponymous toy firm popularised the yo-yo and owned the trademark from 1930 until 1965, when it was challenged in the US legal system. Much to Duncan's chagrin, an appeals judge decided the name had become part of common parlance and revoked the trademark.
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Lava Lamp
The groovy coloured wax-filled lamp that was all the rage in the 1960s was invented by British accountant Edward Craven-Walker in 1963 and trademarked not long after. Today, though the name has been genericised, two companies share trademark rights: UK firm Mathmos and an American company called Lifespan Brands.
AstroTurf
Artificial turf is known globally as AstroTurf, a brand name owned by Germany's SportGroup. The product, which was invented in 1965, was sold under the name "ChemGrass" for a brief period, but AstroTurf was the name that stood the test of time.
Jet Ski
Jet Ski is a brand name owned by Japanese firm Kawasaki, which trademarked the proper noun back in 1972. The correct generic term for the recreational vehicle is a personal water craft (PWC).
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Rollerblade
Rollerblade is a brand of inline skates, but many people think it's the generic term. Minneapolis-based company Ole Innovative Sport launched the Rollerblade in 1982, and the firm and the brand name are now owned by Nordica, which is part of Italy's Technica Group.
Zimmer Frame
Similarly, US firm Zimmer Biomet owns the patent and trademark for the Zimmer Frame, its particular type of walker, which has become the generic term for the mobility aid in the UK, but not in its country of origin.
Hoover
Hoover is another example of a US brand name that has become a generic term overseas but not in its home country. While still a trade name, the word is commonly used for any type of vacuum cleaner in the UK and Commonwealth countries.
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Mace
The first commercial tear gas in a can, Mace was invented in 1965 by Pittsburgh chemist Allan Lee Litman after one of his wife's friends was mugged. The brand name has since become a generic term for all defensive sprays, yet the trademark is still valid.
Taser
Taser has become the generic term for a non-lethal electroshock weapon, but it remains a brand name. Owner Axon tries to protect the trademark, going as far as to challenge journalists who use the word as a verb or in reference to non-Taser products.
Band-Aid
A protected trademark that belongs to Johnson & Johnson, Band-Aid is the everyday term for an adhesive bandage in North America and Australia. Hansaplast is used in some parts of Europe, while in the UK it's simply called a plaster and Brits know Band Aid as a charity musical supergroup from the 1980s that raised money to help fight famine in Ethiopia.
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Stetson
Stetson has come to mean any kind of classic cowboy hat, but the word is actually a brand name. The John B. Stetson Company, which was once the world's largest hatmaker, went bankrupt in 1986 and the brand is now owned by a company called Hat Brands.
Jacuzzi
What Americans and Canadians call a hot tub or whirlpool bath, many people in other parts of the world refer to as a Jacuzzi, which is a registered trade name. Ironically, Jacuzzi is a US firm but the use of its name as a generic term didn't catch on as much in North America.
Wite-out
Returning to Société Bic, the company behind the Biro, the firm's Wite-Out is used by many people in North America as the generic term for correction fluid, while Tipp-Ex, which is also produced and trademarked by the company, has become a popular generic term for the product in Europe.
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Kleenex
Like many companies in this round-up, Kimberly-Clark is no doubt none too pleased its prized brand name was such a big hit. Kleenex has become the generic term for a tissue in the US, Canada, France and several other countries.
Q-Tips
Cotton swabs are known as cotton buds in the UK, but people in the US and Canada frequently call them Q-Tips after the market-leading brand, which is owned by Unilever. The Q-Tip brand dates from the 1920s and was originally called Baby Gays.
Muzak
Muzak has become the common name for any cheesy background or elevator music, or a pejorative term for bland, middle-of-the-road pop. Despite how often it's used, the word is actually a registered though retired trademark owned by Texas-based company Mood Media.
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Sellotape
Clear, pressure-sensitive or sticky tape is widely known as Sellotape in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and many other countries around the world regardless of the brand. A trademarked product, these days Sellotape is produced by the German multinational Henkel.
Scotch Tape
Sticky tape is referred to as Sellotape in a number of countries, but people in the US, Canada, France, Spain and Brazil call it Scotch Tape. This comes from the popular product made by American conglomerate 3M.
Post-it note
Scotch Tape isn't the only 3M trademark that has become a generic term. The company's most famous product, the Post-it note, is now common parlance for any sticky note. Although 3M no longer owns the patent, the firm still holds the trademark for the name and distinctive yellow hue.
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Laundromat
The term laundromat seems as generic as they come, but this word was also a trademark way back when. The Westinghouse Electric Corporation trademarked the word in 1952 but, fighting a losing battle against its genericisation, allowed the licence to expire in 1993.
Memory Stick
Many people refer to the full gamut of removable computer memory devices such as USB flash drives and memory cards as Memory Sticks, but the term is actually a trademark owned by Sony for its proprietary format.
Xerox
Xerox has been used for decades as the generic term for a photocopy or to photocopy a document in North America, which irks the tech giant. According to the company, "you cannot xerox a document, but you can copy it on a Xerox brand copying machine”.
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Photoshop
Likewise, Adobe is far from happy its number one brand Photoshop is used as a verb and as the generic term for airbrushing. The official company blurb states that an image isn't Photoshopped, it's "enhanced with Adobe® Photoshop® Elements software".
Onesie
Many people call the all-in-one bodysuits that were a major fad a couple of Christmases ago onesies, but the name is actually the intellectual property of US company Gerber Childrenswear, which is all too keen to enforce its trademark.
Flip Phone
When you had one of these handsets back in the 2000s, it's unlikely you called it a clamshell. Flip Phone was in fact a Motorola trademark, which was allowed to expire, while clamshell is the proper generic term that few people use.
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Realtor
In recent years, an increasing number of people in the US and Canada have been referring to real estate brokers as Realtors. However, this isn't a generic term, as the word is a protected trademark of America's National Association of Realtors.
Popsicle
You might think that “Popsicle” is interchangeable with “ice lolly” or “ice pop”, but company owner Unilever has an entire web page dedicated to explaining why that’s not the case. “Popsicle®” can only be used to refer to frozen fruit lollies produced by that very company – any other uses of that word, or Creamsicle®, Fudgsicle® or Yosicle® for that matter, could land you in hot water.
Cellophane
Cellophane has become a generic name for plastic wrap/cling film, based on the fact that the bendy material is made from cellulose. But Cellophane refers to one specific brand that was created by chemical company DuPont and then trademarked. The name has fallen into popular use, but is still trademarked in some parts of the world.
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App store
App store has come to mean any online store that allows users to browse and download apps, but the term was originally a trademark owned by Apple. The tech giant sued Amazon in 2012 for use of the word, but dropped the lawsuit and relinquished the trademark the following year.
Champagne
Perhaps the best-known brand name controversy, the title of “Champagne” can only be given to wine coming from grapes grown and harvested in the Champagne region of France. Each year hundreds of sparkling wines try to use the name and land themselves in trouble – Apple even got told off for attempting to describe one of its phones as “champagne-coloured” back in 2013.
Hovercraft
“Air-cushion vehicle” is the slightly long-winded way of saying “hovercraft” thanks to marine and aero-engineering company Saunders-Roe, which patented the now commonly-used word. Other manufacturers were stuck with the inelegant way of describing the mode of transport until “hovercraft” became genericised.
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To “Google” something has become a generic turn of phrase meaning to look something up on the internet, but the word is actually still protected. The saying has become so common that the matter was taken to court in 2017, but Google didn’t lose its trademark.
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