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Subject:Re: Re[2]: Grammar and usage From:"Doug, Data Librarian at Ext 4225" <engstromdd -at- PHIBRED -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 3 Jan 1995 12:27:17 -0600
This comment is spurred by Arlen Walker's reply to the indented comment:
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To tell you the truth, I, too, would think that a company name that
became a general term MIGHT mean free advertising, unless surveys show
that there is no correlation between household names and increased sales!
Can't answer the survey question, but personally, I'd expect it to *decrease*
sales of that particular company's product while *increasing* sales of
competitor's products. After all, if *all* copiers are xeroxes, then why pay for
a Xerox(TM)? The added value is in the name, but if the name is common to all,
there is no longer any added value.
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I agree with Arlen's point completely.
The company I work for sells a product (seed) which looks exactly like the
products produced by our competitors. The only way we can get credit for
60+ years of plant breeding and superior performance is by differentiating
our stuff through use of our name, logo, and other trademarks on the bag
and in advertising.
We most assuredly *do not* want our trademarks to enter the language and
become common property. We have a small department that aggressively
polices use of trademarks, both internally and externally.
As writers, we have a responsibility to protect our employer's
intellectual property by using our company's trademarks properly, and as a
point of simple courtesy, if not actually law, we should respect the marks
of others as well.
Skoal,
Doug "Farm policy, although it's complex,
ENGSTROMDD -at- phibred -dot- com can be explained. What it can't be
is believed."
- P.J. O'Rourke
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The preceding opinions and positions are mine alone, and are only
coincidentally related to those of Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.
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