Domain name registration is usually a good first step to cement trade name and mark ownership. In a previous blog we reminded readers that possession, even in Intellectual Property matters, is ...

Bottom Line: Despite conventional wisdom and years of legal practice, becoming a household name can prove to be a brilliant marketing strategy for companies. When you’re stumped by some momentarily ...

When it comes to trademark registration, there is such a thing as being too popular. Marks such as Aspirin, Fiberglass, Zipper and Flip Phone became so ubiquitous that they were found to be generic—a ...

Nabisco’s Nilla Wafers have been a reliable staple in cookie jars since 1898, but the brand name is only 58 years old. In 1967, Nabisco rebranded the product from Vanilla Wafers to Nilla Wafers.

It happened to aspirin when the masses started popping the pills by the billions. The same fate befell the "yo-yo," the "escalator" and the "laundromat." But for now, Google has avoided "genericide." ...

Sufficiently idiosyncratic to resist comparison with competitors. Yet there is a paradox at the heart of commercial success. As a brand becomes stronger and more widespread, it may also become more ...

What do a teleprompter, thermos, hoover, aspirin, and videotape have in common? They were once trademarked but lost their legally protected status because their names became too generic. Google won’t ...