On 11 Mar 2004 08:34:22 -0800, (David Hall)
wrote:

(Fred the Red Shirt) wrote in message . com...
"mttt" wrote in message ...


(*) Think Ray should just drop the whole notion of "screw" (noun and verb)
and just call it "McFeely". As in "Simply mcfeely (verb) in three more #6x1
1/4" McFeely's spaced evenly across the board."

While I am sure that McFeely woudl be flattered by the notion there
is a potential snag.

IIUC, trademark protection is lost if the trademark becomes a noun in
common usage. Thus, if calling a screw a McFeely actually catches on
then McFeely would loose their rights to their own name.

That's why Xerox wants people to refer to copies made with their
machines as 'photocopies' instead of 'xeroxes'.

....and yet I still xerox stuff using my HP scanner and my Canon
printer. At work my secretary xeroxs stuff for me on the Mikita. Of
course, I use Puffs brand kleenexes, drink cokes made by RC and Pepsi,
and jetski on my Seadoo.

Not to mention taking asprin to deal with the headache caused by
trying to keep all that straight.

Tim Douglass

http://www.DouglassClan.com