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TIP FOR THE WEEK
February 1, 1999
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On Branding
Q: Is there a term describing words such as cellophane and thermos that were
formerly trademarks but now have a generic meaning?
A: The process of a word going from brand to generic is called generification;
and the legal term for this process is genericide. It is an apt term because
despite the sentiment that 'imitation is the highest form of compliment,' if a
trademark becomes generic, a company's branding power is lost — which is the
reason that Xerox, Kleenex, Dixie cup are not generics; their parent companies
fight this trend fiercely.
For further info on the topic of branding see:
- "Word Law," Verbatim, Dennis Baron, vol. 16, no. 1, summer 1989.
- "Brand Name Eponyms," Verbatim, Richard Lederer, vol.12, no. 1 summer 1985.
- Herbert Lichtman of Markwatch (www.markwatch.com), "a product that monitors
the Internet for trademark and intellectual property infringements."
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