Is Genericide Still a Thing?

15 Jun , 2021

To register for the upcoming live webinar, please Click Here

Alphabet (Google) has beaten back challenges claiming that “google” is a generic term for searching in an internet search engine. More recently, Lego took the comedian and talk show host Seth Meyers to task for referring to “Legos” on-air, which led to a flurry of social media commentary expressing strong opinions. Has brand awareness gone far enough that trademark owners no longer need to be concerned that their brands will suffer the fate of ESCALATOR, LAUNDROMAT, and TRAMPOLINE? This audio CLE will consider whether using a trademark as an adjective and conducting awareness campaigns like “Not Even Xerox Can Xerox” and Velcro’s classic 2017 “Don’t Say Velcro” video are still necessary to keep trademarks from becoming generic. We will also take a look at the Booking.com case and consider whether this has lowered the bar for ordinary terms as trademarks.

To register for the upcoming live webinar, please Click Here

More Webcasts

Disorder in The Cour...

Abrasive or burned out? Overworked or uncivil? Zealous advocate or bully? The legal profession is c...

Culture Repair™: W...

When the investigation concludes, the discipline is issued, and the file is closed, most organizatio...

AI Agents Unleashed:...

AI agents — autonomous systems capable of planning, deciding, and acting independently across ...

How to Respond to Sh...

Adverse and derogatory information often has devastating effects on a contractor's ability to win co...

Discovery: Practical...

This program provides a practical roadmap to mastering every stage of the discovery process in civil...

Not for the Faint of...

Section 337 provides powerful, efficient and rapid remedies for a wide range of unfair methods of co...

Digital Organization...

Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) and other digital-native structures have moved from ni...

The Perfectionism Pa...

Perfectionism is often rewarded in the legal profession. It drives attention to detail, thorough pre...

Federal Contractor B...

As the largest purchaser of goods and services in the world, the United States Government requires f...

Evidence in Action: ...

Objections are among the most powerful — and most misunderstood — tools in a trial lawye...