If you’ve ever used a cotton swab or cotton bud to clean your ears or apply makeup, you probably reached for a Q-Tip. Along with bandages and cotton balls, these swabs are a staple of most bathrooms in the U.S. and around the world. If you associate the name with a particular blue box, you … Read more
Styrofoam is a popular material that’s used for home insulation and craft supplies. Despite popular belief, however, it is not the material used to make disposable cups, coolers, packing peanuts and carry-out containers. Styrofoam is a registered trademark for a particular type of closed-cell, extruded polystyrene foam. Those other products may look like Styrofoam, but … Read more
Are you stuck on Band-Aid brand? The catchy jingle was a TV and radio favorite for decades. Band-Aid may not be the top seller in the adhesive bandage market – private label brands have the top spot – but it is undoubtedly the most famous. Newlywed Invention How did Band-Aid get started? It began in … Read more
Table tennis has been around for a long time. British soldiers and aristocrats played it, and it is now an official game in the Olympics. If you call it Ping-Pong, however, you should know you’re using a registered trademark. First Came Tennis Before there was table tennis, there was court tennis. There’s evidence that people … Read more
The idea of a superhero is longstanding in books, paintings, movies and, of course, comic books. When you think of a superhero, you might think of Captain Marvel, or you might think about someone who is unusually brave. If you’re going to write about a superhero, however, you will have to be sure you don’t … Read more
For better or worse, TASER is one of the most famous names in stun guns. Many people routinely use the terms “to taser” or “tasering” when talking about the use of nonlethal force by police officers. But it’s not a generic word. TASER is an acronym and a trademarked brand for a particular type of … Read more
Google is the world’s largest search engine. The tech giant performs more than 1 trillion searches a year and generates over $100 million in advertising revenue daily. Like many technology companies, however, it had humble beginnings. Starting at Stanford In 1995, Larry Page and Sergey Brin were computer science students at Stanford University. They began … Read more
Onesies are some of the most popular forms of baby wear and a favorite baby shower gift. There are even adult one-piece pajamas that look like large versions of these baby outfits. They have even become streetwear in the form of jumpsuits for men and women. If you are planning to buy one, however, remember … Read more
You may think of it as a crisp, tasty fall fruit, but an apple is more than that in legal terms. When you see the Apple name and logo, do you think of Apple Corps, the music company, or Apple Inc., the technology company? Both companies use the same name and a similar logo, and … Read more
Dozens of companies make inline skates, but Rollerblade is the brand that made the sport a global phenomenon. With more than 200 patents and over 100 trademarks, the company is a major player in the inline skate industry. Rollerblade created the first inline skate with a working brake and a flexible boot. The brand has … Read more
When is a real estate agent a Realtor? The National Association of Realtors has held a trademark on the term since 1949, but many people still think all agents are Realtors. The courts and the U.S. Patent and Trade Office all disagree. Trademarked Title In 1916, Charles Chadbourn, a real estate agent in Minneapolis, wrote … Read more
The crackling sound of a Velcro fastener is something we’re all familiar with. Used on everything from shoes to seat belts, Velcro forms a strong bond without the use of buckles, buttons or zippers. Many people don’t realize it, but Velcro is a registered trademark for a specific brand of hook and loop fastener. Walk … Read more
Vaseline is one of the most recognized ointments in the world. This popular brand of petroleum jelly has an instantly recognizable jar and label. From the original product, the brand has expanded into a full line of moisturizers and lotions. Invented by an unemployed chemist, it is now a global brand. How Vaseline Started In … Read more
Jet Ski is one of the most famous names in personal watercraft. Its competitors include the Yamaha WaveRunner, the Bombardier Sea-Doo and the Honda AquaTrax, but few of those names have caught on the way Jet Ski has. Even though the Sea-Doo outsells the Jet Ski, it’s the latter that has become a household name … Read more
Ever since people discovered ice and snow, they’ve looked for ways to incorporate them into cold, tasty treats. Ice cream and sherbet have been around for hundreds of years. Cones and cups made these frozen treats portable, but it took an 11-year-old California boy to invent one of the most famous. Frozen Fun In 1905, … Read more
Many people don’t realize that Bubble Wrap—the inflated, cushioning wrap that fills boxes and is addictive to “pop”—is a trademarked name. The Sealed Air company owns the trademark. Bubble Wrap is everywhere, and it’s hard to imagine moving or shipping anything without it. That’s not bad for an invention that started off as wallpaper. Invented … Read more