Mae Anderson, on trademarks lost when products become so successful they overwhelm generic English terms:
It doesn't happen often. In fact, it's estimated that fewer than 5 percent of U.S. brand names become generic. Those that do typically are inventions or products that improve on what's already on the market. The brand names then become so popular that they eclipse rivals in sales, market share and in the minds' of consumers. And then they spread through the English language like the common cold in a small office.
"There's nothing that can be done to prevent it once it starts happening," says Michael Weiss, professor of linguistics at Cornell University. "There's no controlling the growth of language."
I wonder if Apple's distinctive use of the minuscule "i" prefix helps it here, creating a stronger association between the branding and the company itself than is usually the case. For example, I don't hear "iPod" used generically, even though the market for non-iPod MP3 players has been crackerjack toy country for years. [via Cult of Mac]
