this post was submitted on 19 Aug 2026
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[–] pbhj@lemmy.world 1 points 4 hours ago

You keep saying it's generic, but you clearly don't understand the term as used with trade marks. Generic means it describes a product. So "Step up" couldn't be used for a stair company as competitors couldn't then describe "adding a step up to your front door", or whatever, without risking infringement.

Genericisation then is when a trade mark becomes used descriptively - dumpster, is a classic example, another is jeep.

"Demon Hunters" would be generic if the business operation was hunting supernatural beasts and a judge determined that to be a real occupation ... a singer/songwriter who called themselves "Solo Artist" would be generic.

There's acquired distinctiveness too, which is why "pianoman" could be a trade mark (I'm not sure if it is, probably still not distinctive enough).