I would offer this possible term of <snicker> endearment?
" BRANDONYMS " ???
One word, has that catchy --nyms suffix. Ok, who do I see to copywright this so I can sue the next hapless fool who uses MY term in print? ( Gotta love the litigious world we inhabit...)
----- Jes kidding, I am not the sue-ing typer, I am just…the Typer type
I don’t thing one can Copyright a term … but you CAN Trademark it. 
Incidentally, if a work IS Copyrightable, it is considered to be under Copyright from the moment it is recorded (pen to paper, brush to canvas, sampler to hard disk, etc.) all the way until 50 years after the Author dies, when it becomes Public Domain. Whether the work is registered in the Copyright Office or not.
(Before 1976, though, it was a little different. Back then, a Copyright lasted exactly 28 years, and was renewable one (1) time for an additional 28 years.)
tracer, you are right about not being able to copyright a word (or phrase).
The Sonny Bono Copyright Extension law extended copyright. Where it used to say 50, it now says 70. Where it used to say 75, it now says 95, and where it used to say 100 it now says 120.
Have YOU ever seen a happy elephant?
I read in the news that the copyright on Gone with the Wind is due to expire either this year, or next . . . so just for example, would it be legal for someone, Halequin maybe, to put out a series of Rhett and Scarlett romance novels? Or to write a book where Rhett is cryogenically frozen, and comes back to life 500 from now? Are the characters and plotline free game?
Lissa, I don’t kow about the characters ( although, I suspect they are protected intellectual property, much like my cerebral cortex). However, I am almost certain that the Civil War is not a trademarked event. It might be best to check with Ted Turner, just in case it is.
Typer The Yankee Quipper ( ROFL, Some days, I just find life gleeful. )
I am an intellectual proprety researcher, so trademarks are my bread and butter. While I don’t know that either of these terms are accepted, they do get bandied about the office in regards to genericide–we call’em “generecisms” or “generenyms”. Every so often someone just calls’em “obsolete”, but that’s no fun.
maryjay
Maryjay- try bandying " Brandonyms " around for a few days, see what it does for the ole co-workers
typer