genericide

Definitions

1. The process by which trademark rights are diminished or lost as a result of common use in the marketplace.
   countable, uncountable
2. The act or process of letting a trademark term become so common that the trademark is indefensible.
   countable, uncommon, uncountable

Examples

“Of course, the irony is that genericide occurs at the very moment a product manager's dream⟳ comes true and the product brand becomes synonymous with the product itself.”

“A legal determination of genericide is an instantaneous elimination of the associations between mark⟳ and product built up in the minds of consumers.”

“Imagine⟳ the glee in Microsoft headquarters if Google lost its trademark protection to genericide. If “google” becomes synonymous with conducting an Internet search⟳, then Microsoft could legally and confusingly advertise by saying: “Use⟳ Bing for all of your most complicated googling!””

“Because a claim⟳ of genericide must relate⟳ to a particular type⟳ of good or service and because verb use⟳ does not necessarily constitute generic use⟳, the district court did not err when it refused to frame its inquiry as whether the relevant public primarily uses the word “google” as a verb.”

“Escalator, cellophane, and laundromat have⟳ all lost their trademark status to genericide.”

CEFR level