mike (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} wordzguy) wrote,@ 2004-08-20 00:03:00 |
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Erstwhile trademarks
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Sabrina was eating a popsicle tonight, which led to a discussion of trademarks and how they often want to grow up to be real words. We found a great online encyclopedia entry on the topic of "Genericized trademark," which has interesting lists such as:
Update Oops, I nearly forgot one of the more interesting aspects here. "Popsicle" is a made-up term, and the owner (Good Humor) claims not only the word but has spawned "sicle" as a productive morpheme. The company itself sells Fudgsicle and Creamsicle bars, both claimed as trademarks. The word part has been picked up by others as well to mean "something on a stick":or "frozen treat":
Contribute! | Policy | Philosophy
Sabrina was eating a popsicle tonight, which led to a discussion of trademarks and how they often want to grow up to be real words. We found a great online encyclopedia entry on the topic of "Genericized trademark," which has interesting lists such as:
- Former trademarks now used generically. You might be surprised at some of these. These are, of course, classic examples of evolving English, in this case through the efforts of ad agency creative types.
- Current trademarks that are often used generically. (But only by people who flout the law, haha.)
- Non-trademarks. Also a few terms you might have thought were once trademarks.
Update Oops, I nearly forgot one of the more interesting aspects here. "Popsicle" is a made-up term, and the owner (Good Humor) claims not only the word but has spawned "sicle" as a productive morpheme. The company itself sells Fudgsicle and Creamsicle bars, both claimed as trademarks. The word part has been picked up by others as well to mean "something on a stick":or "frozen treat":
- Orange-Sicle Smoothie
- Raspberry Cream-Sicle (which seems close to infringement, don't it?)
- Slurpee-sicle (Is Slurpee a trademark, I wonder?)
