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Y’all might be interested in California‘a Velcro production:

https://misc.rural.narkive.com/cEsySUGR/california-s-velcro-...



This is a good reminder to mention the VELCRO® Brand educational video, Don't Say Velcro:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY


Thank you, this was great. There’s also a feedback response video [0] (of course they are making fun of German, Klettverschluss is so easy to say!), and a behind-the-scene video [1] where they show you their two actual lawyers that somehow were roped into participating ;)

[0]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLWMQLMiTPk

[1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP-fZdFfOGE


That was awesome.

But I don't get it.

How is being the default brand not good for them?

Do they really want everything to be called "hook and fastner"?

(I've heard that Heinz was prevented from using the name "Ketchup" in some country, as "ketchup" was considered generic for tomato paste, and Heinz didn't meet the legal definition - too much sugar or too few tomatoes.)


Because if a trademark gets genericised then the company can have trouble enforcing their trademark.

Like how in a lot of countries every brand of vacuum cleaner is a "hoover", or any brand of permanent marker is a "sharpie", etc.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generic_trademark


This is the most wholesome thing I've ever seen a company make. I can't tell whether they're bluffing or double bluffing, but I appreciate a good self deprecating joke. The play with other brands also fits in very well.


It's one of my favorite videos. I watch it whenever I feel like I need to cheer up. Be sure to check out the two followup videos that Semaphor linked in a sibling comment.

In an odd coincidence, I had dinner last week with the brand protection attorney for Clorox!

From the VELCRO® Brand video:

  If you need something to clean up your socks,
  Do it with bleach, and not with [censored]
And here's an article with some other clever and compassionate "cease and desist" trademark notices:

https://www.cll.com/OnMyMindBlog/creativity-can-make-tradema...




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