Did you know that the following terms are registered trademarks (click for registration details)?
Each term is commonly mis-used to describe an entire category of products, not a specific brand.
I recently came across the following humorous discussion of ‘Jaccuzzi’ and ‘hot tub’ on the television show The Big Bang Theory. Goody-two-shoes Sheldon properly notes that Jacuzzi® is a brand name and not all hot tubs are Jacuzzis.
See video here: http://youtu.be/t7SHjXEOs5s?hd=1&t=9s
Tip: Help others use your trademark properly – not as a verb, and not to describe an entire category – in order to reduce the chances of it becoming generic. Provide proper use guidelines if necessary, and sent notes asking mis-users to correct the mistake.
What other trademarks are commonly misused as a generic term? Leave your favorite in the comments. Obvious ones include: Hula Hoop, Frisbee, Xerox, Kleenex, Google, and Popsicle.
Another one that surprises geeks is LISTSERV.
Thanks, Stephen. I was not aware of that one! Here is a link to the LISTSERV registration information from the USPTO:
http://tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?regser=serial&entry=74727625