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Don't Say Velcro (2017)

velcro.com

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Re: Don't Say Velcro (2017)

#61

Post by mathgeek »

vanviegen wrote: post #13
verandaguy wrote: post #7

Cute attempt, but Velcro/velcro has already been genericised for decades at this point. Nobody's going to move (back?) to "hook-and-loop," especially when the alternative rolls off the tongue a lot better.

That may not matter to Velcro (TM). As long as they're publicly making attempts to defend their trademark, perhaps that is enough for them to keep legal rights to it.

> That may not matter to Velcro (TM)

Surely you know from reading the article that it's actually "Velcro® Brand". It's easier to follow than most telenovelas. We get it, hook and loop isn’t in our everyday vocabulary, but calling it Velcro (TM) just wouldn’t be true.

Re: Don't Say Velcro (2017)

#62

Post by dvh »

entropie wrote: post #49
docdeek wrote: post #45

No problem in France - the generic term for Velcro here is 'scratch'.

Klettverschluss in germany. Klett comes from Arctium a plant with similar features (I guess) and verschluss is like the english term fastener or clasp.

Suchý zips in Slovak (lit. Dry zipper)

Re: Don't Say Velcro (2017)

#63

Post by PopAlongKid »

Faaak wrote: post #39
merelysounds wrote: post #28

Related, Google wrote a blog post[1] on a similar topic in 2006. As far as I know they've successfully avoided genericide and a 2017 lawsuit[2] ended with a ruling in their favor. Also, unsurprisingly, Adobe has a whole section in their trademarks page about photoshopping[3]: > Correct: The image was enhanced with Adobe® Photoshop® Elements software. > Incorrect: The image was photoshopped. [1]: https://googleblog.bl…

> Correct: The image was enhanced with Adobe® Photoshop® Elements software. Dumb question: how would you pronounce this if you were saying it ? Specifically the ® symbol ?

"R in circle". Just like copyright is "C in circle".

Re: Don't Say Velcro (2017)

#64

Post by Gare »

Faaak wrote: post #39
merelysounds wrote: post #28

Related, Google wrote a blog post[1] on a similar topic in 2006. As far as I know they've successfully avoided genericide and a 2017 lawsuit[2] ended with a ruling in their favor. Also, unsurprisingly, Adobe has a whole section in their trademarks page about photoshopping[3]: > Correct: The image was enhanced with Adobe® Photoshop® Elements software. > Incorrect: The image was photoshopped. [1]: https://googleblog.bl…

> Correct: The image was enhanced with Adobe® Photoshop® Elements software. Dumb question: how would you pronounce this if you were saying it ? Specifically the ® symbol ?

By saying adobeisaregisteredtrademarkofadobecorporation very fast :)

Re: Don't Say Velcro (2017)

#65

Post by pointlessone »

> you diminish the importance of our brand and our lawyers lose their insert fastening sound.

I understand why they’re doing it and maybe in 2017 general mood was a bit different but right now there are people who would absolutely love to diminish the importance of a brand or two first thing in the morning even before their coffee. And they’re giving them ideas for free.

Re: Don't Say Velcro (2017)

#66

Post by Freak_NL »

verandaguy wrote: post #7

Cute attempt, but Velcro/velcro has already been genericised for decades at this point. Nobody's going to move (back?) to "hook-and-loop," especially when the alternative rolls off the tongue a lot better.

> Nobody's going to move (back?) to "hook-and-loop," […]

I do, depending on the audience — I'm fine with hook-and-loop. In general I try to avoid generic trademarks whenever reasonable. In English this takes more effort; in Dutch this isn't too much of an issue. No native Dutch speaker would consider calling an 'ijsdweilmachine' a 'zamboni', for example. It seems that this is very much a US English thing to do.

Re: Don't Say Velcro (2017)

#67

Post by Freak_NL »

PopAlongKid wrote: post #63
Faaak wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Correct: The image was enhanced with Adobe® Photoshop® Elements software. Dumb question: how would you pronounce this if you were saying it ? Specifically the ® symbol ?

"R in circle". Just like copyright is "C in circle".

I can just imagine actors on some TV show saying this because the corporate sponsors demanded 'correct usage'.

Re: Don't Say Velcro (2017)

#68

Post by wazoox »

bradley13 wrote: post #5

Reminds me of the dark ages, when Xerox was so dominant in the copier market that people used their brand as a noun and a verb. They were threatened with loss of their trademark, because it had become so generic. So they had a massive publicity campaign, asking people to say "copy" instead of "xerox". Is this a uniquely US thing? In the UK, people always say "hoover" instead of "vacuum".

In France many trademarks became generic names:

Frigidaire and its abbreviated form frigo is the standard name for a refrigerator (nobody ever says "réfrigérateur").

Kleenex is the standard word meaning "paper handkerchief".

Sopalin is the standard word for "roll of paper towels".

Many automotive parts are called from a brand name too : "Delco" is the only name an igniter is ever called; a flexible black tube is always called a "Durit" whatever its brand.

A modular pre-made, stackable non permanent housing module is an "Algeco".

A bus stop with a roof is called an Abribus.

A supermarket trolley is almost always called a Caddie.

A credit card is universally called a "Carte Bleue" or CB, to the point that people will happily use the nonsensical "CB" acronym for a credit card when speaking English.

Cellophane is called Cellophane. I don't even know of an another word for it :)

Re: Don't Say Velcro (2017)

#69

Post by jordanpg »

1f60c wrote: post #19

(2017), according to https://eu.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/09/26/velcros-video... They're trying to avoid genericide. I think if they didn't do this, they could actually lose the trademark .

Yes. This video is now required viewing in intro trademark classes at law schools to illustrate this point.

Re: Don't Say Velcro (2017)

#70

Post by bitwize »

mathgeek wrote: post #61
vanviegen wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That may not matter to Velcro (TM). As long as they're publicly making attempts to defend their trademark, perhaps that is enough for them to keep legal rights to it.

> That may not matter to Velcro (TM) Surely you know from reading the article that it's actually "Velcro® Brand". It's easier to follow than most telenovelas. We get it, hook and loop isn’t in our everyday vocabulary, but calling it Velcro (TM) just wouldn’t be true.

"I am stuck on Band-Aid® brand, 'cause Band-Aid®'s stuck on me!"
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