[gumby]

« Velcro » is just roughly short for “hook (and) loop” in French (Velour et crochet — velvet and hook). So why not use the abbreviation? Trademarking it is like trademarking any common word, like Windows.

Actually I do have some sympathy; from working at Xerox I somehow was convinced to say “photocopy” (not that anyone uses either expression any more). And I always say “web search” because I don’t want to endorse or encourage the use of google.

[compiler-guy]

"Velcro" wasn't a common word, and was not short for "hook and loop" when the company trademarked it. They coined the term.

They are desperately trying to make it _not_ the abbreviation this comment claims it to be. Quite like "kleenex" in that way.

Normal people generally shouldn't care what the company's legal team wants or thinks--this campaign certainly doesn't stop me from using the term generically--but if the company defends its trademark in this way, it can extend the time _other_ _companies_ can use it as a generic description of what it does.

[Fatnino]

Based on nothing but my gut:

Velcro is the right word.

Xerox is acceptable but not what I reach for first.

Kleenex just sounds wrong. It's tissue and always has been.

Maybe it's a regional thing? NorCal.

[Fuzzwah]

Of course it's a regional thing. There's many examples from around the world. For many in Britain "hoover" is synonymous with vacuum cleaners, and "tannoy' for loud speaker / public address system.

[krisoft]

In hungary the brand name of KUKA (of orange robot arm fame) become genericized to mean any kind of trash bin. I heard it happened because they produced the first widely used garbage trucks in Hungary and they had their brand name written on the trucks (or perhaps even on the garbage cans, depending on where you read the story). So much so that the garbage trucks are called “kukás autó”, and the profession of garbage collection itself is just called “kukás”.

A long long time ago I built a robot out of a garbage can to celebrate this weird connection: https://youtu.be/LFD63moEUkw?si=qDQ54dVNIvOG8nrM

[gumby]

> Velcro" wasn't a common word, and was not short for "hook and loop" when the company trademarked it. They coined the term.

You're arguing against a claim I didn't make. I simply said it's an abbreviation for a French phrase (the inventor was a French speaking swiss). Contractions of this sort are more common in French than straight acronyms, which tend to be more common in English. I didn't say it was some pre-existing word.

[sangnoir]

> So why not use the abbreviation?

HooLoo? I think another company may object to that name.

[fragmede]

Hulu, the video streaming company, doesn't do much in the textiles/garmeny industry, and would have little trademark claim to the name used in a different industry.

[Tagbert]

Unless they were Monster Incorporated, makers of expensive, gold-plated cables with a history of seeing anyone who uses “monster” in a product name regardless of commercial industry.

[rel]

Reminds me tangentially of this great recreation of a deposition: https://youtu.be/PZbqAMEwtOE

[milsorgen]

I say bing it just to go against the grain. There was a time when people thought twice upon hearing it but now most people inherently understand the phrase which is mildly amusing.

[cratermoon]

HoLo?

[ranting-moth]

No, they're usually high.