Surprise! These Names Are Trademarks

One of our listeners was reading an article in “The Atlantic” about the history of the film and camera company Kodak. He was surprised to find that “Kodaking” was once used as verb, meaning to take photographs. That got us thinking about other trademarked names that have been used so often, for so long, they’ve practically become generic. 

Let’s talk about some. We’ll start our journey in the pharmacy aisle.

Band-Aids, ChapStick, and Vaseline

First of all, we have Band-Aids. That’s spelled with a capital B and capital A, with a hyphen between the two words. “Band-Aid” is Johnson & Johnson’s trademark for those sticky things you put on a cut. The name is so embedded in our vocabulary that it’s hard to describe a Band-Aid without using that name! 

But give Johnson & Johnson credit. Back in 1920, they were the first to put adhesive tape and gauze together in one product. Before that, people would put a hunk of cotton on a wound, wrap a piece of cloth around it, and tie it off. Not very convenient!

We also have ChapStick and Vaseline. ChapStick is owned by GlaxoSmithKline; Vaseline, by Unilever. If you wonder why these terms seem so generic, it’s because they’ve been around since the late 1800s! ChapStick was invented by a Virginia pharmacist in the 1890s; Vaseline, by a New York chemist in 1870. So we’ve been talking about these trademarks for about 130 years!

Today, these terms seem so universal that we barely realize they are actually trademarks for lip balm and petroleum jelly, respectively. Just like Band-Aids are a brand of adhesive bandages, Q-tips are a type of cotton swab, and Kleenex is a type of tissue.

Sharpies, Scotch Tape, and X-ACTO Knives

Jumping over to the stationery aisle, let’s pick up a Sharpie, some Scotch tape, and an X-ACTO knife. Or rather, a permanent marker, some clear tape, and a utility knife. 

We were surprised to learn that “Scotch tape” is a trademark. Apparently, back in 1930, an engineer at 3M invented the stuff. His idea was to create a moisture-proof seal for the cellophane food packaging starting to appear in stores. It also offered a way for folks to make simple repairs at home — particularly important because this invention coincided with the advent of the Depression era in the United States. 

In fact, the tape may have been called “Scotch” because at the time, the word was slang for being thrifty. It was an allusion to the supposedly stingy people of Scotland. True or not, even today Scotch tape is often proudly packaged in a Tartan design, the pattern traditionally worn by Scottish Highlanders.

By the way, two quick notes on X-ACTO knives: First, the name is set in...

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