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
Filing for a trademark is a necessary step in marketing and branding your organization and products. At the same time you also step into a world of bureaucracy and hard deadlines. Skip a step or blow a deadline and you might find a nasty notice from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in your … 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
Most people associate a slow cooker with its most famous brand name, the Crock-Pot. A 1974 version of the humble slow cooker is even in the National Museum of American History. More than 12 million people buy a Crock Pot every year, and the brand far outsells its competitors. Inventing a Solution The Crock-Pot began … Read more
Available at every drugstore, convenience store and grocery store in the country, ChapStick is one of the most popular lip balms ever made. A staple for almost 100 years, these sweet, flavored wax sticks command over 55% of the lip balm market. Second-place competitors Burt’s Bees and Carmex each have about 30%. How ChapStick Began … Read more
Pat Riley has another chance at success 25 years later. In the 1988-1989 NBA season his Los Angeles Lakers sought their third-straight NBA Championship. Lakers players and fans used the motto THREE-PEAT, and it caught on. The Lakers fell short, losing in the finals to the Pistons. But Riley came away a winner. His company, … Read more
The call, “Let’s get ready to rumble!” has appeared in countless boxing matches, WWE events, movies and video games. Most people recognize it as an announcement for something big. What they may not know is that the phrase is a trademarked sentence whose owner has turned it into a $400 million business. How It All … Read more
Paris Hilton became “famous for being famous,” especially after appearing on the hit reality show The Simple Life. Hilton may be caricatured as a pampered “dumb blonde,” but she has been smart enough to file a raft of trademarks that protect her name, image and famous phrases. Hilton’s Background Paris Whitney Hilton is the great-granddaughter … Read more
Emeril Lagasse is an award-winning chef who owns several restaurants, has written over 10 cookbooks and has appeared on dozens of cooking-related TV shows. Like Cher and Madonna, he’s famous enough to only go by one name. Despite this success, most people who know the name Emeril immediately associate it with one word: “BAM!” The … Read more
Taylor Swift reigns over the pop charts, but the singer can also lay claim to being the queen of trademarks. She has trademarked several of her famous phrases and images. She even famously trademarked the names of her cats. It’s all part of the successful media empire she has been building from an early age. … Read more
Football fans instantly recognize the stylized bird and blue colors of the Seattle Seahawks logo. The Seahawks won their first Super Bowl in 2014, and that gave even more people the chance to wonder what that bird was. How the Team Started In 1974, the city of Seattle received word that it would soon host … Read more
Subaru has built a reputation as a reliable car whose models regularly make the top 10 lists for safety. Its advertising promises you’ll be able to protect the ones you love by driving a Subaru. The Subaru logo is distinctive for its star pattern. How do those stars symbolize the company? Start of Subaru Subaru … Read more