List of generic and genericized trademarks
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For a list of generic and genericized trademarks in languages other than English, see List of non-English generic and genericized trademarks.
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[edit] List of generic trademarks
The following list comprises those marks which were originally created and used as trademarks, but which have subsequently become so entirely synonymous with the common name of the relevant product or service. Marks which appear in this list 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.
If any of the original registrations for the trademarks appearing in this list remain in force, it is unlikely that the registered owners would be able to successfully enforce their exclusive rights against third parties.
- Allen wrench (or Allen key) – hexagonal screwdriver (a rarity among generic words, 'Allen wrench' is no longer trademarked, but is still capitalized because it is named after a company)
- aspirin – ASA (acetylsalicylic acid; remains as a registered trademark in many places around the world in the name of Bayer, but not in the United States)
- bikini – two-piece swimsuit for women
- brassiere – women's undergarment used for breast support
- BX – flexible, metal-armored electrical cable
- cashpoint – Automated Teller Machine brandname belonging to Lloyds TSB
- cellophane – transparent paper
- celluloid – film material
- cola – soft drink; genericized part of Coca-Cola (see definition 2 at [1]) Arguably, the word "cola" had a weak claim to the originality required for trademark status in the first place, since it is a logical name for a beverage derived from the cola nut. In some parts of the United States, "coke" is a generic word for any soft drink.
- comptometer – adding machine
- crock pot – Crock-Pot is sold by Rival Industries, but "crock pot" and "crockpot" are common synonyms used by cooks to describe slow cookers.
- doona – Australian brand of duvets
- dry ice – frozen carbon dioxide
- esky – any brand of portable ice chest or cooler (possibly Australia only)
- escalator – moving staircase
- gramophone – record player
- granola – oat and fruit mixture
- heroin – diacetylmorphine; originally registered by Bayer as a pain reliever
- hula hoop – toy hoop; originally made of various materials, generic name trademarked by Wham-O when it was redesigned in plastic in the late 1950s
- jake brake – truck braking device
- jungle gym – play structure (from 'Junglegym')
- kiwi fruit – formerly known as "Chinese gooseberries"; new name not trademarked, but Zespri trademark later introduced for New Zealand kiwis
- LP – long playing record
- lanolin – purified, wax-like substance from sheep's wool
- laundromat – Originally a term developed by Westinghouse for washing machines, but usually considered a generic term for a coin operated laundry
- linoleum – floor covering
- merry widow – strapless corset
- milk of magnesia – saline-type laxative; Phillip's
- mimeograph – reproduction machine
- petrol – its tradename when (before internal combustion engines were invented) it was sold in small bottles in chemists as a treatment for lice
- photostat - photographic copying machine
- pilates exercise system – trademark formally canceled by court in 2000
- plasterboard – formed gypsum building material
- pianola – player piano
- pog – bottle caps used in a game derived from the POG drink.
- pogo stick – bouncing stick (trademark was one word: 'Pogo')
- spandex – polyurethane fiber[2]; an anagram of "expands" [3]; DuPont later introduced new trademark, Lycra
- tabloid – originally a type of medication
- tarmac (or tarmacadam) – road surfacing; the word tarmac is sometimes used to refer to airport runways, but properly it is the hardstanding or parking area that is the tarmac
- touch-tone – dual tone multi-frequency telephone signaling. AT&T states "formerly a trademark of AT&T"[4]
- trampoline – sports equipment
- videotape – magnetic television recording medium (see 2 inch Quadruplex videotape)
- 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" [5] [6]
- yo-yo – toy
- zeppelin – dirigible airship
- zip code – postal code (US)
- zipper – zip fastener
[edit] Non-trademarks
Some common names for products or services are popularly believed to be genericized trademarks, however this in not the case as the names were never originally created or used as trademarks. Some examples are listed below.
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In some cases companies have managed to register common names as trade marks, however this typically results in the eventual cancellation or surrender of the registration concerned. This has occurred in the United States in relation to rooibos [7].
[edit] List of genericized trademarks
- Cite references by quoting mainline publications using the trademark generically
[edit] Formerly common, but in disuse
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[edit] Pharmaceutical and medical
As pharmaceutical products are often marketed under different names in different countries, sometimes these different trademarks may become generic in each separate country, but not in all countries (ie. a trademark which has become generic in one country for a specific product may not be generic for the same product in another country). The following list provides examples of such marks.
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[edit] Alphabetical order
The following list comprises those marks which have been registered as trademarks, and which may continue in use and be actively enforced by their trademark owners, but which are also commonly used generically – for example, "I hoovered the lounge today". However, none of these marks should be regarded as legally abandoned or in the public domain.
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