[Dylan16807]

> eventually this had textbook consequences for their ability to prevent people from using their name for things they didn't like

Like what? I've never heard of such a use.

[zinekeller]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generic_trademark

Xerox was eventually successful (at least in US), but there are cases like Bayer's Aspirin (surprise!) that were genericized.

[User23]

The Aspirin and Heroin trademark revocations were punitive and due to the war, not due to lack of proper defense.

That’s why you will see non-Bayer acetylsalicylic acid literally marketed as “Aspirin” but even though the Kleenex trademark is considerably weakened, you still don’t see competitors openly labeling their products with the name.

[bombcar]

Bayer didn’t seem all that concerned with defending Heroin™.

[maicro]

"Hey, can you xerox me a few copies of this document real quick? Yeah, just use the Canon all-in-one on my desk." Little clunky, but I'm certain it's been said somewhere/somewhen.

[Dylan16807]

Is that enough to qualify as "things they didn't like"? I was thinking something actually distasteful.

[jonny_eh]

Or a case where someone goes to a store to buy a "Xerox machine" and is sold a Canon? I can't imagine it.

[unyttigfjelltol]

Ok, looks like Xerox pulled their mark back from being merely "generic".[1]

[1] https://www.justia.com/intellectual-property/trademarks/stre...