The_Rev Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 Asprin was a trademark of Bayer of Germany for acetylsalicylic acid. It is one of the most famous examples of where a term becomes so generic for a product that it loses it's trademark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDon Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 Asprin was a trademark of Bayer of Germany for acetylsalicylic acid. It is one of the most famous examples of where a term becomes so generic for a product that it loses it's trademark. Exactly the same as Heroin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Rev Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 Indeed. Though there is a bit more to it than meets the eye, as both Asprin and Heroin were taken from the Germans in the Treaty of Versailles following our win over them in WW1. There is actually an article about it on Wikipedia (search for "Genericized Trademark") which lists a few other things which have lost their trademark status. An Escalator was originally a trademarked name for a mechanical staircase, which was news to me but makes complete sense now I think about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djdabush Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 Fair enough. Slightly worryingly a pharmacist I know didn't know that either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomaszk Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 Stupid people. I should leave them to be, but I can't help try to help them, then I realise they're morons and am left peeved that I've wasted my time on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted July 3, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted July 3, 2011 Everybody knows that all vacuum cleaners are hoovers. Our hoover is a Dyson. How about... Biro? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonLax Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 Biro was the Hungarian guy who invented said pen. I did not know this previously but I found out the Hungarians are very proud of him. I had it pointed out to me more than once whist in the country. It is an odd thing to have come up in conversation with a random Hungarian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitsend Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 Bic, the French company who subsequently bought the rights to Biro, apparently use diamond dust to shape the ball points on Biros. Completely useless information but I thought it was interesting enough to share. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviramsey Posted July 3, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted July 3, 2011 There are plenty of examples of where brand names become generic terms. Some of the more famous ones would be Coke (for cola) Asprin (headache tablets) and Tipp Ex (correction fluid) but there are scores of examples. There is probably a list on the internet somewhere. The interesting thing about Tipp Ex is that there's a different genercized trademark for correction fluid that prevails in the US: Wite-Out (though I supposed in generic use, it's implicitly spelled "white out")... oddly enough of the three main brands of correction fluid in the world (and two in the US), Wite-Out is the most recent invention (Liquid Paper being the other one (and the oldest)) And in NZ, the genercized trademark is "Twink".... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villaajax Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 There are plenty of examples of where brand names become generic terms. Some of the more famous ones would be Coke (for cola) Asprin (headache tablets) and Tipp Ex (correction fluid) but there are scores of examples. There is probably a list on the internet somewhere. The interesting thing about Tipp Ex is that there's a different genercized trademark for correction fluid that prevails in the US: Wite-Out (though I supposed in generic use, it's implicitly spelled "white out")... oddly enough of the three main brands of correction fluid in the world (and two in the US), Wite-Out is the most recent invention (Liquid Paper being the other one (and the oldest)) And in NZ, the genercized trademark is "Twink".... I applaud your correction fluid knowledge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villaajax Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 The fact there aren't enough days in a weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bose Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 The interesting thing about Tipp Ex is that there's a different genercized trademark for correction fluid that prevails in the US: Wite-Out (though I supposed in generic use, it's implicitly spelled "white out")... oddly enough of the three main brands of correction fluid in the world (and two in the US), Wite-Out is the most recent invention (Liquid Paper being the other one (and the oldest)) And in NZ, the genercized trademark is "Twink".... That's debatable! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legov Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 Sellotape is a brand name. Why do you think Blue Peter have to call it sticky back plastic? There are plenty of examples of where brand names become generic terms. Some of the more famous ones would be Coke (for cola) Asprin (headache tablets) and Tipp Ex (correction fluid) but there are scores of examples. There is probably a list on the internet somewhere. Oh I know all of this, my point was referring to the 'we don't say this in England' bit. Point remains valid though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 There are plenty of examples of where brand names become generic terms. Some of the more famous ones would be Coke (for cola) Asprin (headache tablets) and Tipp Ex (correction fluid) but there are scores of examples. There is probably a list on the internet somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shillzz Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 Boring threads. :winkold: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Rev Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 Champagne is another one I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danwichmann Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 Champagne is another one I guess. I think Champagne is a region rather than a brand? Frisbee is another I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theunderstudy Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 Champagne is a protected food/drink type, as is Cumberland sausage, Stilton cheese, Melton Mowbray pork pies, and I think Bakewell tart. Kevlar is another example of a brand name being a generic term. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 Office Phone call pleasantries and small talk. Some guy from our london office phones me up. Him: "Hi Jon. How you doing" Me: "yeah. I'm not too bad. can't complain" Him: "Yeah. I'm good thanks" I've juts got a query about ...". I have not feckin asked you how you are, you feckin Robot!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theunderstudy Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 Office Phone call pleasantries and small talk. Some guy from our london office phones me up. Him: "Hi Jon. How you doing" Me: "yeah. I'm not too bad. can't complain" Him: "Yeah. I'm good thanks" I've juts got a query about ...". I have not feckin asked you how you are, you feckin Robot!! Bloody Southerners. Can't even say just properly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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