Trademarks

Trademarks and other company names have crept further into our language than their original meanings. Many years ago I started a list of these kind of words, but I never actually wrote them down. Here they are finally, along with who actually owns the trademarks so I don't get into trouble! Wikipedia have an interesting article on genericised trademarks and the legal implications of them.

Ones I definitely use

Wednesday 19 March 2008

Hoover/hoovering - often used to describe any brand of vacuum cleaner. Mine's made by Electrolux, but I still 'hoover the carpets'.

Post-it notes - officially only the ones made by Sellotape (see below). The ones we use at work are made by Niceday, but we still call them Post-it notes!

Sellotape - currently owned by Henkel Consumer Adhesives

Dry ice - solid carbon dioxide. Originally a trade mark, not sure where it stands now.

Lycra - trademark of Du Pont. Actually, is there anything out there that is like Lycra that isn't actually made by Du Pont?

Tippex - correction fluid made by a company called Tippex

PC - used to refer to personal computers made solely my IBM, but seems to have spread.

Klaxon - currently owned by Moflash Signalling Ltd. Usually referring to a warning device or some sort. The word Klaxon comes from the Ancient Greek word Klaxo "to shriek" and is used in several countries to refer to a car's horn.

Tannoy - public address system. Owned by Tulsemere Manufacturing Company. According to Wikipedia "The name Tannoy is a syllabic abbreviation of tantalum alloy, which was the material used in a type of electrolytic rectifier developed by the company". So now you know.

Escalator - might have been a trademark, but got argued over in a court case in 1950. See the Wikipedia article for more.

Bubble wrap - a trademark of the Sealed Air Corporation. I found that one in the Metro paper on the way to work last year!

Others I've heard being used

Tuesday 18 March 2008

Scotch Tape - same stuff as Sellotape really, but this brand is owned by 3M

Thermos - vacuum flask

Google - as in 'to search for something on the internet'. I think Google are contesting the use of the verb 'to google' in some printed dictionaries.

Xerox - 'to photocopy', not usually heard in UK

Kleenex - again, more common in America I think

Band Aids - American again, we just call them plasters!

Cellophane - originally cellulose film, but often used for products not even made from cellulose now.