Discover the surprising trademarked brands hiding in everyday speak

What you need to know (in a nutshell)

1. Many common words and phrases, such as “Band-Aid” and “Google,” are legally protected trademarks and can only be used by the trademark owner.
2. Using a trademarked term in a way that is not authorized by the trademark owner, such as using it to refer to a competing product, is not allowed.
3. Some former trademarks, such as “Aspirin,” have become generic terms due to widespread common use and are no longer protected

Full Article

Did you know that Band-Aid, Jacuzzi, Jet Ski, Memory Stick, Post-It, Super Glue, Taser, Vaseline, Velcro and Xerox are all legally protected trademarks? They might be used colloquially by consumers but cannot be used by their competitors. Here’s a list of marks that have been registered as trademarks and are actively enforced by their trademark owners.

Band-Aid
Trademark owner: Johnson & Johnson
Generic product: Adhesive bandage

Bubble wrap
Trademark owner: Sealed Air Corporation
Generic product: Inflated cushioning

Chapstick
Trademark owner: Wyeth Consumer Healthcare
Generic product: Lip balm

Dumpster
Trademark owner: Dempster Brothers, Inc.
Generic product: Front loader waste container

Fiberglass
Trademark owner: Owens Corning
Generic product: Glass wool

Frisbee
Trademark owner: Wham-O
Generic product: Flying disc

Google
Trademark owner: Google Inc.
Generic product: Internet search engine

Hula hoop
Trademark owner: Wham-O
Generic product: Toy hoop

Jacuzzi
Trademark owner: Jacuzzi
Generic product: Hot tub or whirlpool bath

Jeep
Trademark owner: Chrysler
Generic product: Compact sport utility vehicle

Jet Ski
Trademark owner: Kawasaki
Generic product: Stand-up personal watercraft

La-Z-Boy
Trademark owner: La-Z-Boy, Inc.
Generic product: Reclining chair/sofa

Lava lamp
Trademark owner: Mathmos
Generic product: Liquid motion lamp

Memory Stick
Trademark owner: Sony
Generic product: Flash memory storage device

NOS
Trademark owner: Holley Performance Products
Generic product: Nitrous

Photoshop
Trademark owner: Adobe Systems
Generic product: Photo manipulation

Ping Pong
Trademark owner: Parker Brothers
Generic product: Table tennis

Plasticine
Trademark owner: Flair Leisure Products plc
Generic product: Modelling clay

Polaroid
Trademark owner: Polaroid Corporation
Generic product: Instant camera

Popsicle
Trademark owner: Good Humor-Breyers
Generic product: Ice Pop; ice lolly (UK)

Post-it
Trademark owner: 3M
Generic product: Sticky note

PowerPoint
Trademark owner: Microsoft Generic product: Slide show presentation program

Realtor
Trademark owner: National Association of Realtors
Generic product: Real estate agent

Rollerblade
Trademark owner: Nordica
Generic product: Inline skates

Scotch Tape
Trademark owner: 3M
Generic product: Clear adhesive tape (US)

Super Glue
Trademark owner: Super Glue Corporation
Generic product: Cyanoacrylate adhesive

Super Heroes
Trademark owner: DC Comics, Marvel Comics
Generic product: Superhero

Taser
Trademark owner: TASER International, Inc
Generic product: Electroshock weapon, stun gun

Teflon
Trademark owner: DuPont
Generic product: Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)

Vaseline
Trademark owner: Unilever
Generic product: Petroleum jelly, petrolatum

Velcro
Trademark owner: Velcro company
Generic product: Hook-and-loop fastener

Walkman
Trademark owner: Sony Corporation
Generic product: Personal stereo

Xerox
Trademark owner: Xerox
Generic product: Photocopy

Ziploc
Trademark owner: S. C. Johnson & Son
Generic product: Zipper storage bag

Former trademarks that are now generic terms due to common use

Here’s a list of former trademarks that have now lost legal protection by becoming the common name of the relevant product or service, as determined in court. Some of these might still retain trademark protection in certain countries despite being generic in others.

Aspirin
Acetylsalicylic acid
Trademark owner: Bayer

Cat’s eye
Retroreflective road safety installation
Trademark owner: Reflecting Roadstuds Limited

Cellophane
Thin, transparent sheet made of regenerated cellulose
Trademark owner: Innovia Films (Europe) / DuPont (US)

Dry ice
Solid form of carbon dioxide
Trademark owner: Dry Ice Corporation of America

Escalator
Moving staircase
Trademark owner: Otis Elevator Company

Heroin
Diacetylmorphine
Trademark owner: Friedrich Bayer & Co

Kerosene
Combustible hydrocarbon liquid
Trademark owner: Abraham Gesner

Laundromat
Trademark owner: Westinghouse
Coin laundry shop

Sellotape
British brand of transparent, cellulose-based, pressure-sensitive adhesive tape
Trademark owner: Henkel

Thermos
Trademark owner: Thermos GmbH
Vacuum flask

Trampoline
Trademark owner: Griswold-Nissen Trampoline & Tumbling Company

Videotape
Trademark owner: Ampex Corporation

Former trademarks that are now generic terms due to reasons other than common use

Here’s a list of former trademarks that have now lost legal protection due to abandonment, non-renewal or improper issuance. Some of these might still retain trademark protection in certain countries despite being generic in others.

App
Trademark claimed by Apple, Inc., now cancelled.

App Store
Trademark claimed by Apple Inc. but later abandoned.

Yo-yo
Trademark owner: Papa’s Toy Co. Ltd. (Canada).

Zipper
Trademark owner: B.F. Goodrich (for use in rubber boots).