Google: $ Billion Brand in Peril?

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Google: $ Billion Brand in Peril? Article Review Salvador Lua July 12, 2013 LAW 421 James Eisenman In the article “Google: $ Billion Brand in Peril?” we can see the risk that companies such as Google face by simply having their trademark name become generally used. When people in our society begin to use brand names to generalize any similar products under that word, the courts can rule against the company stating that the word is generally used and the company can loose its trademark. The article described the fate some companies had such as Bayer when it lost the trademark for their product named Aspirin in 1921. Aspirin lost its trademark after people in the society started referring to any painkiller as aspirin. Other brands that suffered the safe fate include escalator, windsurfer, Frisbee, and thermos to name a few. Although we can see that there were many companies that have lost their trademarks throughout the years, the article also speaks about the steps Coca-Cola took to avoid loosing its trademark of Coke. Coca-Cola was in danger of loosing its trademark after many people began to refer to any soft drink as a coke. Coca-Cola took the initial step to ensure that some of their slogans in their advertisement were changed and avoid using the term Coke as a verb. Coca-Cola also reached out to reporters to ensure that any article that was printed that the word Coke was capitalized. This will help Coca-Cola by ensuring that if they did go to trial with the possibility of loosing their trademark that the courts would have less evidence that the word Coke was being used generally. In today’s society, Google aces that same risk as some of these companies. Google is a word that is now being used by many as a way to request a search. Google not only faces a risk because many people use the word freely to suggest a search but the online Webster

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