Would you please "HP" me a copy?"

Today I saw an "advertisement" - or plea - from Xerox which was used to request people not to use its name in vain.  As most of us know, Xerox is a large international technology and research company which, for a time, was primarily known for its commercial copier machines.  As such, when workers went to copy documents, for a long period of time, the copies were made utilizing a Xerox machine.  However, by the 1990's, and certainly today, there are numerous companies that offer commercial/business copiers - Toshiba, Hewlett-Packard/HP, Fuji, Brother, Epson, etc., to name only a few.  Yet, the stereotype has been branded into our brain: Can you "xerox" me a copy of this document?

Xerox, of course, has a trademark for the use of its name in the context of copying documents, using copiers, or other technology-related services and products.  Its fear, and I suppose it is real, is that its trademark registration will be terminated at some point once the usage of the term, 'xerox', becomes so commonplace that no one associates it with the company Xerox, but with the copying of a document.

Xerox, in its ad, notes that the term, zipper, was once a trademark for a Zipper brand name.  However, over time, the trademark was lost, as all zipper-like products became known as zippers.  To some degree, Coca Cola likely had a similar argument - how many times have you requested a Coke in a restaurant, only to be served a different cola - such as Pepsi?  Cereal is like this as well - Frosted Flakes remind me of a colorful tiger who yells "Grreeat!"  But, many restaurants and supermarkets carry Frosty Flakes or other similar sounding brands.

What other brands can you think of that have lost their trademarks to common usage? Do you think Xerox will be able to maintain its trademark?  We'll find out in the months and years to come.

Have A Great Day!