🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <18ns8rINNd81@agate.berkeley.edu>, ag@cogsci.Berkeley.EDU
(Keith Gabryelski) writes:
	....
|> 
|> Pax, Keith
|> 
|> Ps:
|> 
|> When I four years old I used the words `Kleenex' and `Band-Aid' to
|> refer to generic products of their respected kind.  Neither company
|> paid much attention to my obviously wrong use of their trademarked
|> brand names.
|> 
|> Both companies still have trademark rights to the names (albeit
|> possibly on shakey ground).
|> 
|> I doubt USL needs to pay attention to singular illerates.
|> 
|> By the way: I don't speak for anyone but myself.

I was always under the impression that dilution of a trade mark came from
other companies being permitted to sell products using the same mark, if the
manufacturer of `Scotties' were to start calling their product `Kleenex'
and no action were taken then dilution would have occurred, but to say
"pass me a Kleenex" is not.  Similarly, many people I know call a vacuum
cleaner a Hoover; but, to the best of my knowledge Hoover is still a trade
mark of guess who...

The same applies to the brand name Unix; what you or I call it is pretty
irrelevant, so long as other companies don't try to market under the same
name.

Richard

-------------------------------------------
Richard Earnshaw
University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory
Pembroke Street
Cambridge  CB2 3QG
UK