A trademark quiz for PR professionals
Pop quiz: What do the following terms have in common?
- escalator
- kerosene
- corn flakes
- yo-yo
These terms were each coined as a brand name, but were later appropriated by consumers as the generic name for the product. According to the International Trademark Association, “these ‘ghost-Marks’ serve as historic and costly reminders of what can happen to marks if the public comes to regard a brand name as the generic name of a product.”
If you went through journalism school or have spent any time with the AP Stylebook, you’re familiar with the style rules that call for the use of a generic term “unless the trademarked term is essential to the story.” For example, instead of “Levi’s” use “jeans.”
Though style guides do include examples of trademark names and their generic equivalents, the list of protected trademark names is long and puzzling.
Here is another pop quiz and an opportunity to learn about some other trademark names. Can you guess the protected trademark names for these generic terms? (Click to check your answers.)
- Adhesive bandage
- Artificial grass
- A broccoli hybrid
- Canned tire inflator
- Cyanoacrylate adhesive
- Facial tissue
- Food processor
- Flying disc
- Frozen dinner
- Gelatin dessert
- Hook and loop fasteners
- Ice resurfacer
- Inflated cushioning
- Inline skates
- Large-screen television
- Liquid motion lamp
- Miniature golf
- Passenger boarding bridge
- Permanent marker
- Photo copier
- Photo manipulation software
- Plastic storage containers
- Presentation software
- Toy hoop
- Transparent tape
- Slow cooker
- Sticky notes
How did you do, PR Daily readers? Did any of these stump you?
This post was first published on Ragan Communication’s PR Daily.
