# Brand Names (You're now generic) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 12, 2000, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-youre-now-generic/10715 "2000-04-12T00:26:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Odieman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a87d85/32.png) [@Odieman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odieman)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2000, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-youre-now-generic/10715/41 "2000-04-14T21:23:00Z")
> [@](#): > > kool-aid is a generic name? I remember at the time of the Jonestown massacre everybody referred to the victims having taken cyanide and kool-ade. Yesterday I read an article by Tim Cahill who was at Jonestown a week after the massacre and he said the ground was littered with Flavor-ade packets, which he described as a cheap drink powder. My dad is a Scrabble ® player and he has received very explicit instructions about having to always put the registered trademark symbol after the name. For some companies it is just too much bother to protect their brand name, while other people will go IMHO overboard like McDonald’s and the IOC. The IOC has cracked down on Olympic restaurants and other businesses who use the term without permission. Keith * * * You want brilliance BEFORE I’ve had my coffee!!! ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2000, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-youre-now-generic/10715/42 "2000-04-15T00:26:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Satan: > \*\*So what you’re saying is that a company who comes up with a unique idea (such as velcro) not only has an obligation to come up with a brand nam for their product, but also the generic one? So that when the companies who take their unique idea and run with it, it needs to have a name? > > I would say that it’s the job of the company/person who comes along SECOND to come up with the generic name for the product, not the first. > \*\* No, all trademarked products need a generic. Technically, a trademark is sort of a proper adjective that modifies the generic. Like Sanka (brand) decaffeinated coffee. (They emphasize that it’s a brand in the commercials to make sure everyone knows that. I mean, no one talks like that in real life, unless they’re imitating the commercials.) My point is that if the generic is difficult to pronounce and unfamiliar to the general public, they deserve to lose their trademark. > [@](#): > > \*\* > This does not speak of things such as drug names, which always have a generic name (usually cumbersome, admittedly, but that’s not the pharacutical company’s fault) or products which already have a generic name, such as Jell-o = gelatain, Xerox = copier and the like. > \*\* Actually, drugs usually have at least three names: scientific (which is the cumbersome name you’re thinking of), generic and a trademark. The company that develops the drug usually comes up with both the generic and the trademark. For example, I have here a package of Pepcid AC which has a generic of famotidine. That’s nowhere near as cumbersome as its scientific name (found on the web): _N_’-(aminosulfonyl)-3-[[[2-[(diaminomethylene)amino]-4-thiazolyl]methyl] thio] propanimidamide. But the trademark actually refers to something slightly different than the other two names. The scientific and generic names refer to the active ingredient. The trademark refers to the combination of the active ingredient along with inactive ingredients (binders, fillers, etc.) Occasionally, these have a synergistic effect that the active ingredient alone does not have. This effect may not be identified in testing. When someone else makes the drug (after the patent expires), they often use a different combination of inactive ingredients which may not have that effect or have a different effect. Admittedly, this doesn’t happen very often, but it has happened. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2000, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-youre-now-generic/10715/43 "2000-04-15T12:10:00Z")
This discussion would be helped immensely by the contributions of an attorney who deals in trademarks. I’d go look the stuff up, but it’s damn complicated and I have to coach a soccer game later. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2000, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-youre-now-generic/10715/44 "2000-04-15T16:43:00Z")
Another note on the Apple Computers/Apple Records dispute: part of their final agreement included a bit that Apple couldn’t use musical instrument names or sounds. One of their default system beep sounds was a xylophone-like chime, which they wanted to call ‘xylo’. But, of course, they couldn’t. To this day, the sound is called ‘sosumi’. ---
**Author:** ![CatInHat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@CatInHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatInHat)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2000, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-youre-now-generic/10715/45 "2000-04-17T19:43:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Satan: > \*\*… or the new 2000 Ford Jello rolled off the factory, … > > \*\* Oh, is that what they’re calling the new Escort this year? ::ducking and running:: ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2000, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-youre-now-generic/10715/46 "2000-04-17T19:49:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by labradorian: > \*\* Does Kraft have the TM for the use of the word Jello for music, musical performance, musical recordings, etc.? A TM doesn’t give rights to the TM holder for all types of products, only for the types of products the TM is actually registered for use (or anticipated use.) > Unless of course, it’s a “famous mark”. \*\* ``` THIS is why it's impossible to find a copy of the children's book, "The Velveeta Rabbit"....<snicker> ``` * * * If you want to kiss the sky, you’d better learn how to kneel. ---
**Author:** ![J\_String](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce73a5/32.png) [@J\_String](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/J_String)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2000, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-youre-now-generic/10715/47 "2000-04-17T23:09:00Z")
Don’t forget “styrofoam”(sp?). It’s Dow’s brand name for plastic foam. As for the Xerox discussion, not only do/did people use “Xerox” as a synonym for “photocopy” but they called them “Xerographic copies” as well. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2000, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-youre-now-generic/10715/48 "2000-04-18T06:17:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Markxxx: > \*\*I mean no one says he sprayed me with tear gas. They say I got maced. They even verbed the brand name Mace. > > Kids don’t say give me a drink of reconstituted flavored powder. They say give me some kool aid mom. > > Virtually no one says I want acetomeniphen(sp?) they say give me a tylenol. > > Probably 90% of people say, pass me a kleenex, or q-tip. Not can I have a facial tissue or a cotton swab. > > These items have passed into generic use and should be treated as such. It is stupid to pretend that they don’t.\*\* Gee, hate to disagree (nah, I **love** to disagree!) but… 1. _pepperspray_ is becoming much more common. LEOs have probably been taught not to use the brand name, and so, they’re calling 'em peppersprays more often and the others are following their lead. 2. Kids say neither. The say, can I have a Sip ™. (Fruit drinks in boxes with their own straws.) I know, I know, when they do get the powedered stuff, it’s usually called by its flavor – want a cherry drink, baby? 3. **I** say acetaminophen. I also say ibuprofen and chlorpheniramine maleate. But, I know that’s just me trying to spread the word to people to buy the generics. Buying name brand drugs is just plain stupid. 4. I have to disagree. I hear people asing for tissues slightly more than for kleenex. 5. I’ll give you Q-tips. 🙂 ## Peace. _Listening to the Victrola._ ---
**Author:** ![EB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@EB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EB)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2000, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-youre-now-generic/10715/49 "2000-04-18T06:34:00Z")
So what’s the deal with ditto (") marks? Is Ditto still TM? Ahh. How I miss the smell of fresh ditto copies from 4th grade. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2000, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-youre-now-generic/10715/50 "2000-04-18T07:08:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by J String: > \*\*Don’t forget “styrofoam”(sp?). It’s Dow’s brand name for plastic foam. \*\* This is another one that goes with velcro as having an obscure generic (expanded polystyrene). Ok, so it’s not as bad as velcro, but how many out there have actually heard someone use its generic? > [@](#): > > \*\* > As for the Xerox discussion, not only do/did people use “Xerox” as a synonym for “photocopy” but they called them “Xerographic copies” as well.\*\* Personally, I call them xeroxen. I wonder if that violates their trademark? ---
**Author:** ![Yoop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/cdc98d/32.png) [@Yoop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yoop)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2000, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-youre-now-generic/10715/51 "2000-04-20T05:02:00Z")
Wow! I’ve had an actual sighting of the phrase “Velcro hook-and-loop fastener”: _The Design of Everyday Things_, by Don Norman. (Originally titled _The Psychology of Everyday Things_.) Pages 194-5. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2000, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-youre-now-generic/10715/52 "2000-04-20T05:32:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by J String: > **As for the Xerox discussion, not only do/did people use “Xerox” as a synonym for “photocopy” but they called them “Xerographic copies” as well.** Unless I’m reading you wrong, I think you have cause and effect backwards ‘Xerographic’ refers to the process that they use, which is why the company is called Xerox (It means ‘dry writing’ in Greek, IIRC), thus ‘Xerographic Copy’ would be a generic term. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2000, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-youre-now-generic/10715/53 "2000-04-20T06:01:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Yoop: > **Wow! I’ve had an actual sighting of the phrase “Velcro hook-and-loop fastener”: _The Design of Everyday Things_, by Don Norman. (Originally titled _The Psychology of Everyday Things_.) Pages 194-5.** Reading it is nothing. You can do internet searches and find numerous hits. Let me know if you ever _hear_ someone use it. * * * “Did you know… …that in Canadian units, Canada is actually a larger land mass than the U.S.?” – The Onion [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brand-names-youre-now-generic/10715.md?page=2)