# Google™ get a clue.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-get-a-clue/157907>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [February 27, 2003, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-get-a-clue/157907 "2003-02-27T16:12:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-get-a-clue/157907/41 "2003-03-01T00:59:52Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by MilTan \*  
> \*\*So I have a question about terms falling into common use. Kleenex and Band-Aid are often cited as trademarked terms that fell into common use (so just kleenex and band-aid). But if they’ve fallen into common use, why does Kimberley-Clarke still make the only brand of facial tissues called Kleenex? Why does Johnson and Johnson make the only brand of adhesive bandages called Band-Aid? This precendent seems to indicate that even if “google” were to fall into common use, Google (the company) is the only party that could create a search engine named Google. So what, exactly, is the problem? \*\*

The problem is when someone like me refers to EVERY piece of tissue I wipe my nose with, no matter what the brand, as Kleenex, which I do. I’m tossing around the name without any thought towards brand whatsoever. The name is absolutely meaningless, because it’s generic. And that’s what Band-Aid and Kleenex currently are in the American lexicon. So their manufacturers are sorta stuck with names they can’t really change, but don’t mean a goddamn thing to their brand or company.

I hope I’ve said that clearly enough for you to see why J&J and K-C consider that bad…

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**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-get-a-clue/157907/42 "2003-03-01T04:30:31Z")

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MilTan, the thing is those two trademarks (Band-Aid and Kleenex) are still good - they _haven’t_ suffered genericide yet, and that’s why their respective owners keep fighting to keep it from happening.

Google’s quite smart to be taking action this quickly. As yet, the verb refers to the website itself - but who knows white might happen later?

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**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-get-a-clue/157907/43 "2003-03-01T05:54:41Z")

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Try to hold back the tide of common usage. Go ahead, try. Try with lawsuits and threats. Aint gonna work, even if they are legally right.

I can see Google’s point, but it’s futile. And usually when your product is so universal that it passes into common usage it is because your product _is_ the “common usage”.

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