Relaxing in the bubbling waters of a jacuzzi is a pleasure for everyone, even for Pumba from Disney’s animated ‘Lion King’ film. However, saying it in this way wouldn’t be completely right, because even though the word ‘jacuzzi’ has turned into a synonym for a hot tub, it is in fact a trademark. Plus, the American Jacuzzi brand manufactures a whole range of products for bathrooms, as well as toilets and mattresses, which are practically also a ‘jacuzzi’.
This is not the only example where for the consumer’s perceptions the name of a brand has turned into the name for the product itself. Think about Xerox (a brand that produces copy machines), Ping-Pong (a brand for table tennis), Frisbee (a brand for flying discs), Lava lamp (a brand for lamps full of amorphous paraffin wax), Plexiglass (trademark for acrylic glass), or PowerPoint (a Microsoft trademark for a graphic programme for presentations). Oh yes, also, Jeep (a Chrysler trademark for a 4x4 automobile).
This so-called generic use of the names of protected trademarks is not the concern of the brand’s owners. The process, called erosion of the trademark, begins when the brand becomes the dominating provider of the product, and gradually, it stops being associated with the manufacturer. If they don’t take a direct action, there is the risk of losing the patent. For example, the LEGO company puts systematic efforts to differentiate their construction toys from all others, but they haven’t been very successful.
