# Vastly different products with the same name **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 22, 2013, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vastly-different-products-with-the-same-name/674550 "2013-11-22T18:33:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vastly-different-products-with-the-same-name/674550/1 "2013-11-22T18:33:26Z")
I’ve been trying to find a replacement part for my bicycle’s Shimano Nexus 7 internal 7 speed hub. I’m overwhelmed with Nexus 7 tablet information. It’s easy enough to filter out stuff, but even then you’ll get hits for people using their Nexus 7 tablet while riding their bicycle. In the internet age, companies are desperate to distinguish their products, so we’ve had an explosion of impossibly obscure combinations of letters in order to uniquely identify their brand. I’m talking to you, Japanese and Korean automobile manufacturers! Any other distinctly different products with the same name. The long running dispute between Apple Records and Apple Computer is well known, but I doubt the two Steves thought much about being in the music business when they founded Apple. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vastly-different-products-with-the-same-name/674550/2 "2013-11-22T18:39:28Z")
A few years ago, I needed to buy a replacement mouse for a computer which, for whatever reason, only had a PS/2 port instead of a USB port to plug the mouse into. The phone calls I made to stores to see if they sold a compatible mouse did not go well. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vastly-different-products-with-the-same-name/674550/3 "2013-11-22T18:50:38Z")
There is an Alzheimer’s drug called Exelon, and that’s also the name of a nuclear power plant in northern Illinois. And the launch of Cialis was delayed by some months because some people whose surname is Cialis found out about this, and sued the drug company (unsuccessfully) to have it changed. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vastly-different-products-with-the-same-name/674550/4 "2013-11-22T18:55:09Z")
Purolator - It’s a motor oil filter in the US and the equivalent of FedEx of Canada ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vastly-different-products-with-the-same-name/674550/5 "2013-11-22T19:01:49Z")
Apple Macintosh, McIntosh apple and Mackintosh raincoat. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vastly-different-products-with-the-same-name/674550/6 "2013-11-22T19:26:33Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > And the launch of Cialis was delayed by some months because some people whose surname is Cialis found out about this, and sued the drug company (unsuccessfully) to have it changed. That Alice, she’s a real sport ain’t she! If you got sexual problems, see Alice - she’ll fix 'em. Standard Oil and the literally thousands of other companies named “Standard”. ---
**Author:** ![Tikkimouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@Tikkimouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikkimouse)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vastly-different-products-with-the-same-name/674550/7 "2013-11-22T19:53:29Z")
Those Cialis commercials always remind me of that song, “Go Ask Alice.” One pill makes you bigger, etc. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vastly-different-products-with-the-same-name/674550/8 "2013-11-22T20:02:33Z")
Domino sugar, Domino’s pizza. In company names rather than products, Lowe’s is a hardware retailer. Loews is a conglomerate with its hands in oil drilling, gas pipelines, and luxury hotels ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vastly-different-products-with-the-same-name/674550/9 "2013-11-22T20:19:15Z")
Acme. ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vastly-different-products-with-the-same-name/674550/10 "2013-11-22T22:45:14Z")
Dove soap (and shampoo, deodorant, etc) Dove chocolate ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vastly-different-products-with-the-same-name/674550/11 "2013-11-22T22:47:11Z")
I know I’ve run into a good example of this before, but it’s right on the tip of my brain and won’t quite fully form… > [@Smapti](#): > > A few years ago, I needed to buy a replacement mouse for a computer which, for whatever reason, only had a PS/2 port instead of a USB port to plug the mouse into. > > The phone calls I made to stores to see if they sold a compatible mouse did not go well. Heh, every USB mouse I’ve ever bought has included a PS/2 adapter. And wow, that must be a hell of an old computer. Good for you keeping going with it so long, people are in too much of a hurry to upgrade these days. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vastly-different-products-with-the-same-name/674550/12 "2013-11-22T23:04:37Z")
[Portland TrailBlazer](http://portland-or.auto.com/cars-for-sale/chevrolet-trailblazer) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vastly-different-products-with-the-same-name/674550/13 "2013-11-23T00:53:52Z")
[Commodore Records](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_Records) and [Commodore International](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_International) (both of which are now out of business) ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vastly-different-products-with-the-same-name/674550/14 "2013-11-23T00:57:09Z")
The people of the Greek island of Lesbos absolutely hate the fact that gay women are also, these days, referred to as _lesbians_ (despite the fact that they get lots of tourist business because of it). There was a news story a few years ago about the people of the island petitioning the Greek government to stop using the word in its, er, more modern sense in official documents, but I don’t think I have much chance of finding it via Google. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vastly-different-products-with-the-same-name/674550/15 "2013-11-23T00:58:19Z")
> [@Darryl\_Lict](#): > > Any other distinctly different products with the same name. The long running dispute between Apple Records and Apple Computer is well known, but I doubt the two Steves thought much about being in the music business when they founded Apple. Not to mention, you know, apples. ---
**Author:** ![5\_time\_champ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/278dde/32.png) [@5\_time\_champ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5_time_champ)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vastly-different-products-with-the-same-name/674550/16 "2013-11-23T01:00:34Z")
Hideously overpriced Monster Cables and Monster Energy drinks and [monster.com](http://monster.com) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vastly-different-products-with-the-same-name/674550/17 "2013-11-23T01:02:10Z")
One unusual example: [Hershey](http://www.hersheys.com/) the chocolate company and [Hershey](http://www.hersheyicecream.com/) the ice cream company are not the same business and never have been. The two companies just coincidentally happened to be founded in the same year (1894) by two different Hershey families (who were unrelated) and who lived only a few miles apart. The two companies have sued each other back and forth for decades. ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vastly-different-products-with-the-same-name/674550/18 "2013-11-23T01:34:55Z")
[Gulf Oil](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_Oil) and [Gulf and Western](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_and_Western_Industries). (You might say there’s some sort of vast, yawning space between them…) ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vastly-different-products-with-the-same-name/674550/19 "2013-11-23T02:28:24Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > Purolator - It’s a motor oil filter in the US and the equivalent of FedEx of Canada I stongly suspect it is, or was, the same company. {off to Wikipedia…} Yup. "acquired in 1967 by the US manufacturer of oil and air filters [Purolator…](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purolator)[URL="[Purolator Inc. - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purolator_Inc.#cite_note-2%22%5D%22) ---
**Author:** ![Crawlspace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Crawlspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crawlspace)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vastly-different-products-with-the-same-name/674550/20 "2013-11-23T03:23:43Z")
Although there might someday be a market for tactical baby knives, right now the two Gerber companies are unrelated. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vastly-different-products-with-the-same-name/674550.md?page=2)