Did you know that Band-Aid, Jacuzzi, Jet Ski, Memory Stick, Post-It, Super Glue, Taser, Vaseline, Velcro and Xerox are all legally protected trademarks? They might be used generically by consumers but cannot be used by their competitors. Here’s a list of marks that have been registered as trademarks and are actively enforced by their trademark owners.
Band-Aid
Bubble wrap
Chapstick
Dumpster
Fiberglass
Frisbee
Hula hoop
Jacuzzi
Jeep
Jet Ski
La-Z-Boy
Lava lamp
Memory Stick
NOS
Photoshop
Ping Pong
Plasticine
Polaroid
Popsicle
Post-it
PowerPoint
Realtor
Rollerblade
Scotch Tape
Super Glue
Super Heroes
Taser
Teflon
Vaseline
Velcro
Walkman
Xerox
Ziploc
Former trademarks that are now generic terms due to common use
Here’s a list of former trademarks that have now lost legal protection by becoming the common name of the relevant product or service, as determined in court. Some of these might still retain trademark protection in certain countries despite being generic in others.
Aspirin
Cat’s eye
Cellophane
Dry ice
Escalator
Heroin
Kerosene
Laundromat
Sellotape
Thermos
Trampoline
Videotape
Former trademarks that are now generic terms due to reasons other than common use
Here’s a list of former trademarks that have now lost legal protection due to abandonment, non-renewal or improper issuance. Some of these might still retain trademark protection in certain countries despite being generic in others.
App
App Store
Yo-yo
Zipper
Hope this post was of interest to you. How many trademarks (past or present) were you aware of? Did we miss any? Share this post and your views in the comments below.