David Mann observed:
> Recently there were a few small changes made to trademark law in this
> country. Now if your brand becomes a household name (eg Hoover as above)
> you risk losing your trademark unless you educate your customers.
"Recently"?
This is why Coca-Cola corporation has been sending letters for
_decades_ to every published author they notice using "coke"
uncapitalized to refer to sodas in general and, I've heard,
putting occasional ads in magazines for writers reminding people
that Coke is a proper noun.
It's also why we no longer capitalize "cellophane", which lost
its trademark status for the same reason long ago.
Admittedly, I've been known, in some cotexts, to use the
word "recent" to refer to anything that happened since about
1600, but not when referring to changes in US laws. Was there
a recent change to what actions count for "defending a
trademark" to make it easier or harder? 'Cause the basic
principle you described isn't very new.
-- Glenn
