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1->'''Carnie:''' Mary, Mother of God! I cut my hand on a rubber band! Do you sell Band-Aids?\
2'''Randal:''' "Band-Aid" is a brand name! The proper term is "adhesive strips".\
3'''Dante:''' The man is bleeding to death and you're getting into a semantics argument?\
4'''Randal:''' Man! Name-brand word association is one of the more subtle threats to this nation's free trade! It gives the larger, well-known companies an unfair advantage. I'm doing my part to keep the playing field level by weaning people off of referring to generic products with brand names!\
5'''Dante:''' Way to show some backbone.\
6'''Randal:''' No spine of Jell-O here, my friend.
7-->-- ''WesternAnimation/ClerksTheAnimatedSeries''
8
9A Brand Name Takeover occurs whenever a UsefulNotes/{{trademark}} or brand name has become the colloquial or generic description for a specific type of product, rather than just the specific product created by the original trademark holder. This typically happens when the product in question has become so dominant in the market that the brand is the first thing people think about when they think of the ''type'' of product the brand represents. Additionally, if you look at the lists below, it is most common in instances where the trademarked product is the first of its kind - thus (especially if it was also patented thus meaning the new product was the ''only'' one of its kind) it often was the only name the public knew for this new widget. Famous examples include the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermos Thermos,]] the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escalator Escalator,]] the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breathalyzer Breathalyzer,]] and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shredded_wheat Shredded Wheat.]]
10
11This phenomenon tends to annoy the companies that hold the trademarks, because unless the company works sufficiently to prevent such broad use of its trademark, its intellectual property rights to the trademark may be lost, as the mark cannot do its job of identifying the specific product any more. For example, "cellophane" was originally a trademark owned by the [=DuPont=] corporation; its widespread use as a generic name for any sort of plastic food wrap, regardless of the actual brand, caused [=DuPont=] to lose the trademark, so now anyone can call their plastic wrap "cellophane". In other words, Randal's assessment of the situation in the page quote [[ArtisticLicenseLaw is incorrect]] In more ways than one -- the largest companies are at a ''disadvantage'' as compared to their competition. Naturally, most companies rather strenuously object to this happening, leading to situations where they are StuckOnBandAidBrand in an attempt to stop it.[[note]]Besides, a Band-Aid isn't an ''adhesive strip'', it's a ''dressing'' with an attached adhesive strip to hold it in place.[[/note]]
12
13Note that some of the examples below only count in certain parts of the world, in others it may be called by its actual non-branded designation, or by a ''different'' Brand Name Takeover name.
14
15[[OlderThanTheyThink Believe it or not]], this trope is OlderThanRadio. Known as a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genericized_trademark "genericized trademark"]] on [[Website/{{Wikipedia}} The Other Wiki]]. If recognized by governments, this can fall into GoneHorriblyRight, as the term becomes so popular that it can often no longer be trademarked after falling into a language's lexicon. It's generally called the "Kleenex Effect" in ([[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autological_word nicely]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synecdoche self-demonstrating]]) marketing jargon. See also IAmNotShazam.
16
17Incidentally, the legal drive to protect trademarks is often blamed for popular franchises being ScrewedByTheLawyers - as well as companies doing so being labeled {{Predatory Business}}es.
18
19Compare PersonAsVerb and TropeNamers.
20----
21!!Examples:
22
23[[foldercontrol]]
24
25[[folder:A - F]]
26* Accent, one of the various trademarks under which monosodium glutamate is sold.
27* Accutane (Isotretinoin, an acne medication)
28* Accu-Chek (blood glucose monitor): The first brand of home blood glucose monitors for diabetics. There are monitors produced by other manufacturers, but regardless of the brand used in a particular hospital, that hospital's doctors will write orders to test the patient's "accucheck".
29* "Adrenalin" is a trademarked term, although "adrenaline" is not; still, many scientists and medical professionals, especially in the U.S., prefer the term "epinephrine" for this reason.
30* Adidas (shoes): all running shoes, in Poland and Romania.
31* Advil (ibuprofen): a painkiller.
32* AFL (UsefulNotes/AustralianRulesFootball): Deriving from the dominant club league of the sport, the Australian Football League (AFL). People pretty much only ever either call it "AFL" or "Aussie Rules". In the U.S., it's pretty much "Aussie Rules", as "AFL" tends to mean "[[UsefulNotes/AmericanFootball Arena League]]" (an indoor variant of American Football) and occasionally the old American Football League (which was the NFL's rival during the 60s before it merged with it, becoming the AFC)
33* Airfix (plastic construction kits): in the UK
34* Airstream (streamlined aluminum travel trailer)
35* Ajinomoto (Monosodium Glutamate): A trademark of Ajinomoto Inc. of Japan, but is widely used by Malaysians and Singaporeans to refer to MSG (ie. ''This food is not healthy because it contains a lot of ajinomoto''). For Filipinos, see Vetsin instead.
36* [=AK-47=] (Kalashnikov/AK family rifles): Usually when someone refers to an [=AK-47=], they don't mean the very first version of this family of firearm, because there are a lot of variations.[[note]]Also, "AK-47" (or "M-16", essentially its American equivalent) will often be colloquially used when referring to ''any'' sort of automatic or military style rifle by people that don't really know firearms, regardless of if it's at all mechanically similar to either of those guns. In the Philippines, the word "Armalite" means any type of AR-derived rifle, not just the M-16; after all the standard service rifles of the Philippine military and police are the M-16s and derivatives. This carries over to [=SMGs=] and machine pistols as well, which will always be referred to as an "Uzi" (or occasionally a "MAC-10").[[/note]]
37* Aleve (naproxen sodium, a NSAID painkiller and anti-inflammatory drug). In the UK, the similar NSAID ibuprofen is generally referred to as ''Nurofen'' - the first and most commonly available brandname of the drug .
38* Allen wrench/Allen key (hex key): L-shaped, handleless screwdriver with a hexagonal cross-section, originally mass-produced by the Allen Manufacturing Company.
39** Inbus key: The same tool in Germany, the Czech Republic, and the Netherlands. Commonly misspelled with an "m" because the pronunciation is very similar.
40* Ant Farm (a formicarium): Became the topic of [[http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/1995-12-30/ this]] {{ComicStrip/Dilbert}} strip when Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert, received letters from "Uncle Milton's", the company that owns the trademark. He had to print a retraction and apology. Well, maybe apology is too strong a word...
41-->'''Dilbert''': So, what do you call a habitat for worthless and disgusting little creatures?
42-->'''Dogbert''': Law school.
43* Aqua (drinking water brand): Very common in Indonesia, and also a necessity considering Indonesia's tap water is generally unclean to drink directly, to the point where all drinking water brands in the country are often simply called "Aqua."
44* Aqualung (scuba gear): Used in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Estonia, Bulgaria.
45* Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid): the Bayer company lost the trademark in most Allied nations shortly after World War I as part of war reparations, but holds it in [[http://www.aspirin.de Germany,]] [[http://www.aspirin.ca Canada]] and Mexico, among others. In the UK, up until quite recently, aspirin tablets were commonly called ''Anadins'' after the earliest brandname for them.
46* AstroTurf (artificial turf).
47* Creator/{{Atari}} for video games in the early '80s, as the company was that ubiquitous before MediaNotes/TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983.
48* AutoTune (pitch correction software): mostly in reference to its use as a distortion style.
49* A-Z (street atlas): strictly speaking refers only to the range produced by The Geographers' A-Z Map Company, but commonly used in the UK to refer to any map or atlas with a street index.
50* Baja-Maja (portable toilet): in Sweden and Finland.
51* Band-Aid (adhesive bandages): despite [[StuckOnBandAidBrand all the best efforts]] of the Johnson & Johnson people.
52** "Band Aid" is a moderately well-known brand in the UK (hence the PunnyName of the famine relief music act Band Aid (as in Do They Know It's Christmas) and its related charity the Band Aid Trust), but is not used generically. In the UK these are known as "sticking plasters" or simply "plasters", and the equivalent genericised trademark is Elastoplast.
53* Toys/{{Barbie}}: People sometimes use 'Barbie' to refer to all fashion dolls, Barbie brand or otherwise.
54* Baygon (insecticide): Formerly Bayer trademark, owned by SC Johnson. Especially in places where Raid isn't as popular.
55* Bell System (telephone company, often referred to as "Ma Bell"); to be fair, it was the ''only'' telephone company in most of the U.S. and Canada for over a century until it was forcibly broken up in 1984.
56* Bendix: In Finland, automobile starter motor. In the US, while it hasn't become generic for starters, the term "Bendix gear" is a generic term for a kind of gear used in them.
57* Bic (disposable lighters, ball-point pens or safety razors, depending on context)
58* Bimbo bread (white bread and/or whole wheat bread in Mexico): Due to the bakery that has a decades-long monopoly over white/whole wheat bread in Mexico. The brand is used for all bread products so it hasn't lost its trademark protection, but "pan bimbo" is generically used to refer to that kind of bread even if it isn't Bimbo-brand bread.[[note]]The only real competition in Mexico is Wonder. But Bimbo owns the Wonder trademark in Mexico, so even if it's "Wonder bread" it can be argued that it's still "Bimbo" bread.[[/note]]
59* Binky (baby pacifiers): "Binky" originated in the [=1930s=] as a trademarked brand name for pacifiers and other baby products from the Binky Baby Products Company, with ownership later transferring to Playtex Products. It is frequently used as a generic term for pacifiers.
60* Biro (ball-point pens): in Britain among others, though named after its Hungarian inventor.
61* Bobcat (skid-steer loaders): North America
62* Bom Ar (spray air freshener): Brazil.
63* Bombril (steel wool): Brazil.
64* Bondo, used as a term for polyester automotive body filler in the US.
65* Bostitch (stapler): Switzerland. In the rest of the world: a song by the Swiss electronic duo Music/{{Yello}} (a yelled hello, if you're wondering).
66* Botox (Botulinum toxin BTX) Botox was the first brand available, however others have emerged such as Dysport and Xeomin.
67* Boxercise (boxing-based group exercise class)
68* Blu-Tack (reusable adhesive putty): in Britain and Australia
69** The same stuff is referred to as Fun-Tak™ in at least parts of the US.
70** Mack-Tack in Canada after a now-defunct brand.
71* Breathalyzer (A device used to measure blood alcohol content by analyzing exhaled breath): Originally trademarked by Smith & Wesson, owned by National Draeger. Most people aren't even aware that this is actually a brand name.
72* Bridgeport: After the original Bridgeport Machines, Inc. knee-and-column vertical milling machine with ram-and-turret mounting for the milling head. Machinists generally refer to the original as just "Bridgeport" and other manufacturers' as "Bridgeport-style".
73* Browning (semi-automatic handgun): usage is generally more common in Europe and especially Western Europe.[[note]]During [[TheEdwardianEra the start of the 20th century]], the great majority of semi-automatic handguns sold on the European civilian market were John Browning designs and had his name prominently stamped on the side. Most such handguns of that era in America were ''also'' Brownings, but were manufactured by Colt and did not carry Browning's name.[[/note]]
74* [[http://www.sealedair.com/bubble_home.htm Bubble Wrap]] (inflated cushioning)
75* Bubbler (drinking fountain)
76* Bulldog clips, spring clips for holding loose sheets together back in the days of paper, might have been patented as a name in 1944 but people soon stopped caring about that small detail.
77* Budweiser or "Bud" the signature brand of the Anheuser-Busch brewing company is used in place of "beer" in several places in America and can be used as a generic term for "American Beer" in Canada, similar to the Coke example below.
78** In Brazil some use for beer a brand [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AB_InBev_brands that's currently sister to Budweiser,]] Brahma.
79** Originally a Czech type of beer brewed in Budweis, Bohemia. In Europe, "Budweiser" refers in many countries to beer brewed by Czech brewery Budweiser Budvar.
80* Burana: In Finland, any ibuprofen based painkillers
81* [=BVDs=], underwear, mostly men's underpants.
82* Camelbak (A large water container worn on the back, with a straw coming out that can be reached by the mouth): Popular with cyclists and others who engage in strenuous outdoors exercise in desert climates. The ripoff versions are almost universally called "camel backs", not helped by the lack of any other even vaguely non-awkward term.
83* Canola (rapeseed oil with low erucic acid content) was originally a trademark of the Rapeseed Association of Canada; the name stands for "'''Can'''adian '''o'''il, '''l'''ow '''a'''cid". The name is used by many brands who produce that kind of oil, even if they don't produce it in Canada, because they don't want to turn off customers with the unfortunate sounding "rapeseed oil".
84* Cappy (orange juice): in Austria
85* [=CD=] or Compact Disc is technically a trademark of Koninklijke Philips N.V., but it came to refer to any digital optical data disc when the medium reached its peak in the mid-90s. (Its two successors, DVD and Blu-Ray, are not trademarked per se, but its logomarks are held by consortiums - both of which include Philips.)
86* Cashpoint (automated teller machine): in the UK. A trademark of Lloyds Bank. The Barclays Bank equivalent was "hole in the wall", which also saw some currency in the UK as a synonym for ATM.
87* Ceefax (teletext service): In the UK, "Ceefax" was the name of the teletext service from Creator/TheBBC, but widely (and incorrectly) used to refer to teletext services provided by other broadcasters as well.
88* Cellophane (plastic food wrap)
89** Cling Wrap gets much the same use in the USA and Canada
90** In the UK it's known as cling film.
91** Glad Wrap in Australia after the brand.
92* [[http://www.centralcasting.com Central Casting]] was formed in 1925 by a coalition of Hollywood studios [[GhostExtras to provide a reliable source of background actors]] for productions (in exchange, CC provided a reliable source of jobs for said actors). They later expanded to provide actors with a certain "look" or skill set, and today the phrase "straight out of central casting" refers to someone [[StockCostumeTraits with an appropriately stereotypical appearance]] (a [[MightyLumberjack lumberjack]] with a full beard and wearing a flannel shirt and blue jeans, for example).
93* Channellock pliers, nearly all adjustable off set pliers, ( sometimes known as 'water pump' pliers) are called by this trademarked name, even the ones that do not use the patented tongue and groove (channel) adjusting joint.
94* Cheezies (cheese curl) in Canada. In the U.S., any form of cheese-flvored snacks will more often than not be called "Cheetos"[[note]]Which was previously spelled "Chee-tos" until the mid-late 1990s.[[/note]].
95* Cheez Doodles (cheese puffs): It's used as a stand-in for all cheese puffs in the east coast of America.
96* Cheerios (General Mills) and Rice Krispies (Kellogg's) are still under trademark protection in the U.S., but Frosted Flakes are not.
97** For that matter, any generic cereal will be known as its more popular counterpart, like referring to "Marshmallows n Stars" as "Lucky Charms".
98** Also, Raisin Bran (wheat flakes with raisins)
99* Chex mix (snack mix): Chex is a trademark of General Mills, but some generic snack mixes use chex like cereal pieces.
100* [=ChapStick=] (lip balm)
101** When it's in stick form anyway. If it's squeezed out of a tube like toothpaste, it's more likely to be called just lip balm.
102** Carmex, another brand of lip balm.
103* Chiclets (any sort of gum) in Brazil; in the rest of Latin America gum is "chicle", [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicle from the tree]] from which early forms of chewing gum were made (nowadays it's usually a synthetic).
104* Chipsy: For potato chips in Egypt. Chipsy is the biggest potato chip brand in Egypt; it was bought out by Lay's in the mid-2000s and serves as the local Lay's brand name.
105* ''Literature/ChooseYourOwnAdventure'', while it is still a trademark of Chooseco, has become a genericized name for {{Gamebooks}} or any work similar to them. This caused problems for Creator/{{Netflix}} when promoting ''Film/BlackMirrorBandersnatch'' as it led to a lawsuit from Chooseco due to its usage of "choose your own adventure" in promotional materials.
106* Chupa Chups (lollipop) in Italy, Romania, Spain, Latin America and Russia.
107* Chyron: In TheEighties, [=ChyronHego=] (then known as the Chyron Corporation) became the dominant maker of graphics generators for American television broadcasting, which led "chyron" to become a generic name for typed text used in newscasts, even those made with machines from different companies. At some point it leaked into general usage. Political junkies and pundits love using the word when discussing the provocative wording in cable news graphics, but it's something of a case of CommonKnowledge, since actual TV production staffers tend to use generic terms like "banner", "super", "font", "lower third" or even just "graphic".
108** Ditto above in the UK, except Aston is the company whose name turned into the generic term.
109* Cirque (contemporary circus): Zig-zagging in that this isn't an actual brand name, but is treated as such. Because Creator/CirqueDuSoleil popularized contemporary circus in North America, it has become common to refer to that genre as "cirque", which is actually the French word for "circus" ([=CDS=] originated in Montreal). [[TheMockbuster Mockbuster]] troupes such as [[http://www.cirqueproductions.com Cirque Productions]] that have no reason to use the French word in their names except to confuse audiences sprung up. [=CDS=] got fed up and [[Main/DisneyOwnsThisTrope tried suing that particular company for using it]]; they lost, due to the word being common and thus unable to be trademarked.
110* {{Claymation}} (clay-based stop-motion animation, or stop-motion in general): a trademark of Will Vinton Productions
111* [=CliffsNotes=] (student study guides): If someone is mentioning a study guide for a novel, they'll say "[=CliffsNotes=]" or erroneously "Cliff Notes". Equivalents include [=SparkNotes=] and Monarch Notes. Quick summaries of events, situations and such are sometimes referred to as "cliff notes" or introduced as "the [=CliffsNotes=] version".
112* Clorox (bleach): in the United States. For Canadians, it's Javex.
113** In some areas of the United States, Hi-Lex (bleach) is used instead.
114** In parts of Brazil, [[http://www.qboa.com.br/ Q-Boa]] (bleach).
115** In southern Brazil, Clorofina (bleach)
116** In Malaysia, it's also Clorox- they were the first brand of bleach to become generally available to consumers in the country, and so the name stuck.
117* Coke, a trademark of Coca-Cola, has come to refer to any brand of cola. Very rarely is the pedestrian definition of "coke" (the purified form of bituminous coal used for fuel) used. In some parts of the American South, the use of the word "coke" has spread to mean any sort of soda, not just the cola flavors (justified because the Coca-Cola Company's headquarters is located in UsefulNotes/{{Atlanta}}).
118-->"What kind of coke you got?"
119-->"Orange, grape, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, root beer."
120** In order to distinguish it from the generic "coke", the South has since developed the colloquialism "co-cola" when you're specifically talking about Coca-Cola.
121** In Texas it's all coke, unless it's Dr Pepper.
122* Coleman Stove, a folding steel stove fueled by kerosene or propane and used in camping.
123* Comfort (fabric softener) in Brazil.
124* "Confort" is used to refer to any kind of toilet paper in Chile after a popular brand (Must be the jingle). In a similar vein, every paper towel is referred as "Nova".
125* Corn Flakes: Used to be a trademark of the Kellogg corporation. In Brazil, it's the local name for Frosted Flakes, Sucrilhos.
126* Crayola (crayons), and Cray-Pas (oil pastels)
127* Crescent wrench, easier to say than Adjustable Open End Wrench ( spanner).
128* Crock-Pot (slow cookers)
129* Cuisinart for food processor, and also sometimes a blender.
130* Cup Noodles ([[UsefulNotes/RamenAsDehydratedNoodles Noodles packaged in a disposable cup]]): trademark of Nissin. Also known as Maruchan, because the brand is much more prominent than the product name on the packaging.
131** Pot Noodle is the UK equivalent.
132* As exhibited in the IAmNotShazam Literature page, apparently Bram Stoker's ''Dracula'' has become synonymous with ''Vampire'' in places where the locals have tenuous grasp of the English language.
133* Cutex (nail polish)
134* [=DayGlo=] (daylight fluorescent pigments)
135* Demerol (Meperadine opioid pain relievers). Known as ''Pethidine'' in the UK: many paramedics, nurses, and midwives (who often use it as its the safest opioid for childbirth pain) would be surprised to learn that's not the generic name.
136* Platform/{{Dendy}} (Bootleg [[Platform/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]] clones). In Chile, every NES clone is known as [[Platform/PlayStation Poly Station]] after the most popular [[ShoddyKnockoffProduct "brand"]], despite existing many other versions with names and likenesses based on whatever desktop console.
137* Discman/Walkman (portable CD/cassette players)
138* Disk On Key (USB flash drive): in Israel. Also, Jump Drive.
139* Ditto machine: Spirit duplicators, a low-cost copying method from the days before photocopiers became commonplace, after the Ditto Corporation, the best-known manufacturer of such devices in the US; from another manufacturer came the alternate name of "Rexograph". The UK equivalent was "Banda machine".
140* Dixie cups
141* Dobro (resonator guitar, especially the single-inverted-cone variety)
142* Doliprane (paracetamol, a pain reliever): in France -- though rescued by the rise of generic meds.
143* If you asked for Domestos in the UK, it's unlikely you would complain if the sodium hypochlorite based domestic bleach you were given wasn't Domestos brand.
144* Doshirak (Instant noodles): in Russia and central asian countries
145* Dremel (Power tool): Any compact drill with interchangeable heads for carving, grind, sand etc. is colloquially called "Dremel" regardless of the actual brand.
146* Drujba (chainsaw): In Romania. It means friendship in Russian.
147* Dry Ice (solid carbon dioxide): Trademarked by the Dry Ice Corporation of America in the 1920s, but no longer active
148* Duck Tape or Duct Tape (water resistant tape): The latter is the more common name but still trademarked in various countries.
149* Duophonic is often used to refer to any kind of "fake stereo" (where a mono sound recording is reprocessed into something that sounds like stereo in theory but like crap in practice) even though the name refers specifically to the process used by Creator/CapitolRecords and other labels used different processes with terminology along the lines of "electronically rechanelled for stereo".
150* Dumpster (industrial-sized garbage bins). The generic name {{lampshade|Hanging}}d in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
151-->'''Bart:''' You're living in a dumpster?
152-->'''Otto:''' Ho, man, I wish. Dumpster brand trash bins are top-of-the-line. This is just a Trash-Co waste disposal unit.
153* Durex
154** (Condoms): in Europe and parts of Asia (specifically, Malaysia)
155** (Adhesive Tape): in Brazil and Australia (not from the same company)
156*** Discussed in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ev5AUrQdDc0 this]] British advert.
157* Dustbuster or Dirt Devil (handheld vacuum cleaner)
158* Edding (permanent marker, in Germany)
159* Elastoplast (adhesive bandages or "plasters"): in the UK
160* Escalator (moving staircases). To the point that it can no longer be trademarked and hasn't been for quite some time.
161* Esky (portable insulated ice chests)
162* Expo (dry-erase markers)
163* Fanta (orange flavored soft drink): in Germany and Brazil
164** Jaffa in Finland after the domestic brand of Hartwall company. While most of their soda's bear the Jaffa branding, as a generic term it means orange flavor soda.
165** For any kind of soft drink, in Ghana. Coke, Pepsi, Sprite, it's all "Fanta" in Ghana.
166* Fender was a generic name for any electric bass guitar for a time in the '50s and '60s. The company made its name with its Precision bass before introducing its iconic electric guitars like the Stratocaster.
167* Fine (tissue): in Jordan.
168* Formica (plastic laminate)
169* Frigidaire: Used in the early 20th century in the US, France, and to an extent in the Philippines, to refer to refrigerators. Also gave rise to the slang term "fridge".
170* Frisbee (flying disks)
171** Lampshaded/parodied in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'':
172--->'''[=SpongeBob=]:''' Hey, look what I've got! Small plastic disc that you throw!
173--->'''Patrick:''' Oh boy! I love playing small plastic disc that you throw! If only it had a simpler name...
174--->'''[=SpongeBob=]:''' I know! Small plastic disc... [[JustForFun/RecycledInSPACE that you TOSS!]]
175*** Played straight in the episode "Ripped Pants", where the word Frisbee is explicitly used.
176** And ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
177--->'''Jimbo:''' Hey, look what I found! A novelty flying disk!
178--->'''Bart:''' Hey, that's ''our'' novelty flying disk!
179** Also got a reference in ''Film/BackToTheFuturePartIII'', but more in the style of ItWillNeverCatchOn--the name was on a pie plate, referencing the term's origin.
180** This actually caused the character Mrs. Frisby to have her name changed to Mrs. ''Brisby'' in ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretOfNIMH''.
181* Fiberglass (fiber-reinforced plastic): Though the registered trademark is FIBERGLAS, held by Owens-Corning.
182* "Fun size" chocolate bars. A registered trademark of Mars, but well on its way to becoming genericized. Non-Mars products use equivalents such as "treat size" on their packaging, but it's surely only a matter of time.
183[[/folder]]
184
185[[folder:G - M]]
186* Gatorade (sports drink)
187* Gilette (razor blade): in Brazil
188* Girl Scouts (girl guides); refers primarily to the Girl Scouts of the USA
189* "The Good Humor Man" (ice cream vendors, especially those who drive ice cream trucks): The Good Humor company (makers of "popsicles", mentioned later in this page) first popularized ice cream trucks in the U.S.. As a result, ice cream vendors were sometimes referred to by this name, although "ice cream man" is used more often these days.
190* Google (search engines)
191** More commonly used as a verb meaning to use a search engine.
192** It is worth noting, however, that many companies (Yahoo, etc) ''use'' the Google engine for their search purposes.
193** Fun fact: The major German dictionary ''Duden'' had to change the meaning of the verb ''google'' from "searching the web" to "searching the web with Google" in the next edition, actual usage be damned.
194** The word "googling" (regardless of case) is red-underlined as a misspelled word in Google Chrome's built-in spell check, as is "google" with a lowercase "g".
195** It is worth noting that "Google" has largely replaced an earlier case of this; "grep", from the UNIX command line search utility[[note]]the name of the utility being derived from General (or Global) Regular Expression Parser--for the uninitiated, a regular expression is a search method that looks for data fitting a particular ''pattern''--one might, for instance, search through all received emails for any numeric strings of a given length, ignoring any spaces, hyphens, brackets, etcetera, in order to find a phone number...[[/note]], was popular for a while among hackers as an alternative to the word "search".
196* Green Stuff (A binary putty used primarily in wargaming and model building.)
197* Hacky Sack (footbag)
198** The name was parodied in ''VideoGame/YoshisStory'' as an enemy character named "Attacky-Sack".
199** Appears as [[BlandNameProduct "Kicky Bag"]] in ''VideoGame/TheSims2''.
200* Some people will refer to any kind of electric organ as a "Hammond". Inverted with others, who use "Hammond" to refer specifically to the Hammond B3 tonewheel organ, even though the company has produced several other types of organ.
201* ''Handy'', the German word for mobile/cell phone ([[GratuitousEnglish Yes, seriously]]), is rumoured to have its roots in a very early cell phone model by Motorola which was called "Handy". Similar is the Motorola trademark ''Handie-Talkie'' (1951) for their brand of handheld transceiver became the generic ham radio term "HT" meaning any handheld transceiver.
202* Havaianas (flip-flops) in Brazil.
203* Heroin "the sedative for coughs" (Diamorphine - another ex-Bayer trademark)
204* Heteka: In Finland, any tube frame bed.
205* Honda: In some dialects of Indonesian, Honda is became the generic word for any two-wheeled motor vehicle with internal combustion engine regardless what brand it actually is, of all brand names.
206* Hotchkiss (stapler): In Japan, they sold the first stapler. Now all staplers are called Hotchkiss (Hocchikisu), despite the demise of the manufacturer.
207* Hoover (vacuum cleaners), in Britain. One of the most pervasive examples of the trope in the UK as the name is a near-universal verb for "cleaning". Nothing [[HaveAGayOldTime sucks]] like an Electrolux, used for 'vacuum' in Poland ('elektroluks') and formerly in English-speaking countries as well.
208* Hopi Ear Candles (alternative health treatment): This brand name was devised to imply a connection to the Native American tribe, a ploy which may have worked too well since few people realise it ''is'' a brand name.
209* Hot Wheels[=/=]Matchbox (toy racing cars, specifically "1:64" scale models of real cars): Both are registered to Mattel. If in the UK before Mattel acquired Matchbox in the mid-1990s, Matchbox was far more commonly used, along with Corgi.
210* Hula Hoop (plastic hoop toy) oddly has ''two'' completely separate applications in the UK, as Hula Hoops is also the most popular variety of the snackfood known generically as "potato rings", in the potato crisps/[[SeparatedByACommonLanguage chips]] market.
211* IBM (personal computer): Not ubiquitous, but quite commonly used in early 1990s Poland. Not so much today. Everyone else used "PC", which persists until today, and is an example itself.
212** Among old-time computer professionals, the IBM 360/370 architecture was so ubiquitous in the business computing world that rival companies' clones of the 360/370 were still called "IBM mainframes."
213* Sapporo Ichiban was one of the first brands of [[UsefulNotes/RamenAsDehydratedNoodles instant ramen]] imported into Canada, and many Canadians refer to the dish as "ichiban", regardless of the actual brand, unless they live in an area with large East Asian populations and are therefore exposed to multiple brands or properly cooked fresh ramen in restaurants. The word itself is Japanese for "number one".
214* Igelit was originally a form of PVC, made by IG Farben. In Czech, the term is commonly used for any kind of plastic bags and wrappings, even though other materials have replaced the PVC; "igelit" bags are actually made from low-density polyethylene (LDPE).
215* Imodium (loperamide based anti-diarrheal drugs)
216* Indomie (instant noodles): in Jordan and Egypt and likely the rest of the Middle East due to the fact that the Indonesian produced Indomie instant noodles are halal, which makes it popular for consumption amongst Muslims both in the Middle East and Indonesia. Other instant noodle brands are either not halal or contain pork, which can never be halal, assuring Indomie's dominance. It's also a really popular brand in African countries like Nigeria.
217* iPlayer (online video-on-demand service): in the UK. This is Creator/TheBBC's video-on-demand service, but many people mistakenly use it as a generic name for similar services from other broadcasters such as [[Creator/{{ITV}} ITVX]], [[Creator/{{UKTV}} UKTV Play]] and Creator/Channel4's streaming app (formerly known as All 4).
218* iPod (digital music player)
219** Considering how many different types of iPods there are, few people will refer to the subtypes as anything but iPods. Also, who remembers the CamelCase?
220** Less prominently, iPhone for smartphones and iPad for tablets.
221* Jacuzzi (whirlpool baths/hot tubs). The Jacuzzi company also makes other bathroom fixtures, including sinks and toilets.
222* Jaffa (in Finland, any bubbly orange soft drink, including Fanta)
223* [=JCB=]: Earth-movers and other construction vehicles, in the UK.
224* Jeep (off-road vehicles)
225** Jeep could be considered an inversion. The original jeep was a term for a category of vehicle (not brand or manufacturer specific) in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, although the origin of the term is disputed. Also played with in that while officially Jeep is the name of a car manufacturer owned by Fiat-Chrysler specializing in [=SUVs=] and Crossovers, and thus everything they make is a 'Jeep', colloquially in the United States, 'Jeep' only refers to civilian versions of the original UsefulNotes/WorldWarII light utility vehicle.[[note]]More specifically, the manufacturer's original name was Overland Automotive, then Willys-Overland Motors, then Willys Motor Company, then to Kaiser-Jeep when the company was no longer building anything but Jeeps. Kaiser then sold Jeep to AMC, which was eventually bought by Chrysler.[[/note]]
226* Jell-O (gelatin dessert)
227** Lampshaded by Dallas in ''VideoGame/RatchetDeadlocked'':
228--->"Ratchet has this game on ice, ladies and gentlemen! The juice is cold, and the generic brand-x gelatin is definitely jiggling!"
229** In Australia, New Zealand and the UK, this stuff (flavoured, sweetened, wobbly set gelatine dessert) is never called jell-o. It's called jelly, which has never been trademarked under any prominent brand. Which means that anytime imported TV shows refer to "peanut butter and jelly sandwiches" etc. an odd mental image comes to mind, as the 'jelly' in that phrase is known as jam in these countries.[[note]]Whereas North America distinguishes "jam" from "jelly" by typically referring only to preserves with fruit pieces in it as "jam".[[/note]]
230* Jet Ski (stand up personal water craft)
231* Jockey shorts or jockeys (men's briefs) - inverted, as when briefs were invented by Cooper’s, Inc., they were given the moniker “jockey” in reference to the fact that they offered the same “masculine support” as an athletic supporter AKA jockstrap. Decades after the debut of the brief, Cooper’s would change its name to Jockey.
232* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JumboTron JumboTron]] (giant television screen found in sports stadiums)
233* In 1921, Commander Lumley Robinson of the British Royal Navy patented one of the most useful mechanical assembly aids ever invented and trademarked it under the name "Jubilee Clip". But if a fitter sees "Jubilee Clip" specified on a parts list and uses some random Asian make of worm drive hose clamp instead, no one is going to sue.
234** Sometimes called Breeze Clips in the US, after one of the major manufacturers.
235* Junket (sweet curd[[note]]a pudding-like type of curdled milk[[/note]]). Taken to ridiculous measures when one of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_the_Bunny Dorothy Kunhardt]]'s less well-known novels, ''Junket is Nice,'' was [[DisneyOwnsThisTrope forcibly-changed]] to ''Pudding is Nice'' by Junket Company, despite the term dating to a medieval Norman name for a type of pudding. Not to mention the cinema and gambling usages.
236* Kärcher is synonymous with "pressure washer" in several countries, including France, Germany, Georgia, Poland, Mexico, Russia and the United States. In France, where it's been used as a verb ("karcheriser"), Kärcher periodically has to ask politicians not to use their brand name due to controversial statements such as Nicolas Sarkozy declaring that "we'll clean the city out with a Kärcher" following the death of an 11-year-old boy in the crossfire of a gang shootout in La Courneuve, which has a sizeable immigrant population.
237* Karma (not to be confused with the other {{karma}}) is a Czech term for a gas-powered tankless water heater. Originally a brand name, named after its manufacturer '''Kar'''el '''Ma'''cháček.
238* Kerosene (paraffin heating oil)
239* Keso (cottage cheese): Based on a Swedish brand name. Because there is no other Swedish term for cottage cheese, the company behind Keso have started subtitling the product with "cottage cheese" written in phonetics. Compare Spanish ''queso'' for "cheese". Similarly in Finland, Raejuusto (literally "hailstone cheese"), originally trademark by Valio.
240* Kilomathon (running race of 26.2 kilometres): Originally the registered trademark of an individual race organiser who died in 2010. Many other people started using the name after his death, and his heirs did not defend or renew the trademark, which ran out in 2018.
241* Klaxon (signal horn, and in the company's home country of France, car horns)
242* Kleenex (facial tissue). Tempo in Germany is another example.
243* [[Creator/EastmanKodak Kodak]] (film photography): "Kodak" as a synonym for "film camera" appeared as early as 1893 in Creator/GilbertAndSullivan's ''Theatre/UtopiaLimited'' and the brand as a synonym for "photograph" became so popular by the 1920s that Eastman Kodak had to remind people that "If it isn't an Eastman, it isn't a Kodak!" The company was still sensitive about it when Music/PaulSimon released "Kodachrome" in 1973; every record with the song carries the disclaimer that "Kodachrome® is a registered trademark for color film." Certain memorable situations are still called "Kodak moments" (after [[MemeticMutation an ad campaign]]) despite such moments now being rarely captured using film photography, let alone a Kodak camera and/or Kodak film. "Kodak" also survives in Quebec as a colloquial term for a film camera.
244* Kool-Aid (non-carbonated soft drinks): US and Canada. To the point that the cyanide-laced drinks in the Jonestown mass "suicide" is referred to as Kool-Aid (leading to the term "DrinkingTheKoolAid") when the brand used was Flavor-Aid.
245* Kraft Dinner, commonly abbreviated to KD (in Canada), is any type of mac 'n cheese.
246* Kuka (trashcan): Hungary. Named after the german company KUKA AG, that built the first garbage truck. The company was tasked to implement the first garbage colection service in Budapest, and it [[SigilSpam sigil spammed]] its name on everything: the trucks, the trashcans, the trashmen. This led to not only the bins being called ''Kuka'', but the trucks too are called ''Kukásautó'' (Kuka Car), the trashmen themselves ''Kukás'' (Kuka guy).
247** Kuka first only referred to the wheeled bins, but now it's used for any size from office paper bins to giant garbage containers, to the Recycle Bin of some early Windows OS-es.[[note]]In later versions it's called ''Lomtár'' (Junk storage), a word that almost exclusively refers to the Windows feature.[[/note]]
248* LamazeClass (antenatal classes for pregnant women and their partners). This one is even catching on in the UK due to the influence of US TV.
249* Laundromat (coin laundry shop): Trademarked to Westinghouse Electric Corporation.
250* [=La-Z-Boy=] for reclining armchairs in some American regions.
251* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learjet Learjet]] is the trademarked name of a class of business jets currently built by Bombardier. The less trademarked moniker of Lear Jet is often generically applied to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_jet business jets]] in general.
252* Franchise/{{LEGO}}
253** Lego is used to refer to any kind of small interlocking construction toys, sometimes even those with different mechanisms to actual LEGO. LEGO (and the fandom) is very insistent in their magazines that people call them "LEGO Brand Building Toys", but their generic competitors from dollar stores and brands like Mega Bloks get lumped in anyway. Some would argue, however, that LEGO does attempt to make subtle distinctions in the use of its brand name to distinguish its competitors' products.
254** Don't you dare call that Obi-Wan figurine that came with your LEGO ''Franchise/StarWars'' set a "Lego", either. It's called a "[[Toys/LEGOMinifigures minifigure]]". Even your local news will come after you.
255** The LEGO Group has officially answered a question from various people if it is correct to refer to multiple pieces as "LEGO" or "[=LEGOs=]". They say neither; rather, "LEGO" is properly an adjective, as in "LEGO pieces" or "LEGO sets".
256* Lekos ("LEE-kohs") for ellipsoidal reflector spotlights, one of the two light types which make up the bulk of theatrical lighting (Fresnel units being the other). Even textbooks on the subject have been known to use the brand name.
257** This is being displaced, with only older stagehands/electricians/lighting designers typically referring to ellipsoidals as "Lekos"; this may be due to the near-ubiquity of ETC Source Four lighting instruments in theatrical installations (and Altman instruments before that, throughout the 1980s and early 1990s).
258** These lights are also sometimes referred to as "Kliegs," making this a double example.
259** While the name of the ''other'' type of light mentioned should properly be capitalized, it is not specifically a case of this; they're called Fresnels because they contain Fresnel lenses, named after the engineer who designed them.
260* Les Paul: Gibson's trademarked electric guitar. The name has diluted to refer to any guitar with single cutout body of two different woods and two humbuckers.
261* Linoleum (floor covering)
262* Livestream: Primarily as a verb, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin live streaming]] of video over the Internet. Not the first site to offer this service, but definitely the one with the most generic name.
263* Luon (Nylon-Lycra blend, developed and trademarked by Lululemon Athletica)
264* Luxaflex (in the Netherlands, window blinds, specifically the horizontal ones; vertical ones are lamellen (lamellae))
265* Lycra (spandex) in many countries.
266* Mace the personal personel spray dispenser company. It helps that Mace does not sell mace the chemical anymore, only pepper spray.
267* Mack (gas stations): in Sweden. Originally a brand of petrol pumps. Mack is also a common term for tractor-trailer cabs in the USA, usually in the form "Mack truck". For example, [[Franchise/{{Transformers}} Optimus Prime]] is often referred to as a Mack truck despite actually being a Freightliner model.
268* Maggi (instant noodles): in the Indian subcontinent.
269** In the Netherlands, it's the salty food additive that comes in those brown bottles. Maggi sells a lot of other products as well, but when you say, "Pass the Maggi", people usually know that you mean the brown bottled stuff.
270** Same thing in Poland as in Netherlands.
271** As well as Romania.
272** Ditto Germany. Accompanied by massive overuse of the stuff in some households, to the degree that there's a joke along the lines of "the French use ''magie'' (magic) in their cooking, the Germans use Maggi", due to the similar sound of the words.
273** Maggi for instant noodles used to be this in the Philippines, but with an influx of competitors due to the popularity of the stuff as cheap staple food for the poor, this has mostly been subverted, with "instant noodles/ramen" retaking the common name.
274** It means "bouillon cubes" in most of the Arab world. Same with the African continent.
275** In Brazil, it's Miojo (the brand sold there by Nissin - the company who invented instant noodles). And Maggi as the food additive is downplayed - the tablets are known as "Caldo Maggi" (Maggi brew).
276** Despite there being a sizable amount of competition in Malaysia and Singapore, instant noodles are still referred to as "Maggi Mee" (''mee'' being the pidgin slang for ''noodles'' in the region) in these countries.
277* Magic Marker (felt-tip pen)
278* Maglite is a trademarked name held by Mag Instrument, Inc. for their heavy aluminum flashlights, as they were the first company to manufacture them. Mag''light'', however, isn't trademarked, and the word is used to refer to flashlights of that type, regardless of the manufacturer.
279* Mapquest (online driving directions)
280* In Brazil, wafer biscuits are known in some regions as [[http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e5iqQB_wmn4/T7KLQaamLxI/AAAAAAAABWU/8oXHm9xo2Bw/s1600/Mirabel%2BAfter-721136.bmp Mirabel]]. And yes, this makes ''Westernanimation/{{Encanto}}'' slightly funnier.
281* M&M's (button-shaped chocolate candies)
282** In Brazil, [[http://img.americanas.com.br/produtos/01/02/item/5287/9/5287907GG.jpg Confeti]] (helps that their world-famous Carnival uses lots of confe''tt''i)
283** Alternatively, Smarties in Canada and the U.K., which is not to be confused with the tablet candy known as Smarties in the U.S. and Rockets in Canada.
284** Alternatively, Lacasitos in Spain (Conguitos for the chocolate-covered peanuts).
285* Merthiolate (the antiseptic thiomersal)
286* Milo in Australia
287* Mobage (network hosting and distributing {{Mobile Phone Game}}s): In Japan, but catching on with the rest of the world; became more associated with the games on the service than the service itself due to the popularity of the platform in Japan.
288* Modess (Menstrual Pad): in Brazil
289* Mongolian barbecue: A stir-fried dish made in Taiwan that started as a simple food stand, it was popular enough that it spawned imitators that kept the Mongolian gimmick [[note]]Mongolian barbecue[[NonIndicativeName is not Mongolian in origin.]][[/note]]
290* Monot: In Finland, skiing shoes
291* Motrin or Advil (ibuprofen)
292* MTV: Used generically in certain countries to refer to any music video, regardless of whether it was shown on the channel or not.
293* Multi-Ball (a mode in {{Pinball}} machines where two or three balls are in play; first coined by Williams)
294* [[Franchise/TheMuppets Muppet]]: Both the Creator/JimHenson Company and more recently Creator/{{Disney}} have fought against the word being used for any felt-and-foam hand puppet (or any vaguely similar puppet design), but with only partial success. Henson is careful to ''not'' call its own characters Muppets, but as early as 1961 [[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/93475992/the-muppet-mutiny-part-2/ a newspaper article]] was referring to the characters on ''Captain Jim's Popeye Club'' and ''The Creator/ShariLewis Show'' as small-m muppets. This very Wiki uses {{Muppet}} to mean "A character in a live-action series rendered by puppetry or animatronics".
295* Muzak (a music distribution system): Most often used to refer to TheElevatorFromIpanema-styled bossa nova covers of popular songs and smooth jazz music played over these systems rather than the system itself, with an occasionally positive or negative connotation.
296[[/folder]]
297
298[[folder:N - T]]
299* Natel: Handy (mobile phones) in Switzerland; the former is based on the term '''N'''ationales '''A'''uto-'''Tel'''efon - national phone network for cars.
300* Nescafe: In some countries--particularly the Middle East--for instant coffee. In Israel, it's been shortened to "Nes" (Hebrew for miracle).
301* Nintendo (console video games): For example, "go play some Nintendo".
302** This one has shifted around a lot. Back when the Platform/{{Atari 2600}} was the king of the hill, "Creator/{{Atari}}" was used as a generic term for video games. "Creator/{{Nintendo}}" replaced it during the Platform/{{N|intendoEntertainmentSystem}}ES era and persisted for the most part through the 16-bit era. After that, Nintendo started to decline and "Platform/PlayStation" gained some currency as a generic term. Since then, however, all of these generics seem to have largely fallen out of use, probably due to the relatively even footing of the post-Platform/PlayStation2 era.
303** Nintendo is somewhat notable for actively and ''successfully'' fighting off trademark genericization with their company name, having ran a persistent and memorable campaign that advocated replacing the term "Nintendo" in reference to video game products with the then-neologism "game console," most notably embodied by the [[https://i.redd.it/20vipleteraz.jpg "there's no such thing as a Nintendo"]] flyer. Hilariously however, since Nintendo only carried out said campaign in North America, the trope still applies to Greater Asia, in which Nintendo's marketing absence, combined with the large amounts of famiclones in the market and the presence of Nintendo tie-in shows like ''WesternAnimation/CaptainNTheGameMaster'', ''Series/TheSuperMarioBrosSuperShow'' and ''Series/VideoPower'' in the region, resulted in everyone calling any famiclone capable of playing ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1'' a "Nintendo".
304** Similarly, "Platform/{{Dendy}}" in Russia; it's the name of a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dendy_(console) NES clone]] from the early 1990s.
305* "Nutella" is or is starting to become a generic term for chocolate spread, regardless of whether it's actually Nutella (and regardless of whether or not it contains hazelnuts, as Nutella does).
306* O'boy (chocolate milk): in Sweden, from the biggest brand of chocolate milk instant powder, though the use of the word varies somewhat. Some Swedes call everything chocolate milk related "O'boy", regardless of whether it's hot or cold or how it's made, while others make the distinction between O'boy (cold chocolate milk made by mixing milk and any brand of instant powder together) and hot chocolate (a hot drink, typically made with real cocoa powder and sugar).
307** Similarly, Ovaltine in the U.S., though not as much these days (The modern equivalent would be Nesquik).
308** ''Milo'' is the Malaysian and Singaporean equivalent of Ovaltine and O'boy, never mind that Milo also contains malt. Any chocolate flavored drink is automatically referred to as "Milo" in these two countries. And yes, even ''Ovaltine'' is casually referred to as ''Milo''.
309** In Brazil there's ''two'' brands synonymous with chocolate milk, [[http://eatrio.net/2013/03/toddy-toddynho.html Toddy]] and Nescau.
310* Onesie (bodysuit that snaps at the crotch, typically worn by babies): Trademarked by Gerber. Although that one's a bit less than legit. The term "onesie" existed before the Gerber company was founded and referred to one-piece long underwear.
311* Oreo (chocolate sandwich cookies), the
312** Domino in Finland
313** Nabisco attempts to stave this off even today: every time they print the word, it is in a certain font that looks like the Oreo logo. Yes, even fine print has this strange font.
314* ''Advertising/OtterPops'' (tube freeze pops)
315** In Australia, the brand "Zooper Dooper" is used as a generic term.
316* Ouija boards: Originally called "planchettes" or "talking boards".
317* Pacer (mechanical pencil)
318* Palm Pilot for pocket-sized digital organizers. Interesting for a couple of reasons: Palm was actually the manufacturer and Pilot was the model, but it's always treated like a compound word ("palm-pilot"); and said model was discontinued years before the term went out of style.
319* Pampers (disposable diapers): in Puerto Rico, parts of the United States, the Caribbean, Poland, the Netherlands, and Post-Soviet states. Also in several parts of South-East Asia, particularly Malaysia and Singapore (it gets hilarious when someone asks a pharmacist for "Adult Pampers" for his aging father/grandfather), which is doubly hilarious as the Pampers brand is no longer actively sold in South-East Asia.
320* Panadol (paracetamol, a painkiller): in Australia and New Zealand, also not uncommon in the UK. In Chile they are often referred as Panadol too, a term that only rivals with Tapsin. In Malaysia and Singapore, Panadol has also become the defacto name for painkillers. In Finland, "Panadol" refers to paracetamol while "Burana" refers to ibuprofen. Known as Tylenol (acetaminophen, [[SeparatedByACommonLanguage the same exact painkiller under a different name]], except Tylenol often also contains alcohol) in the US and Canada.
321* PC (Personal Computer) (desktop computers): inverted and then played straight when IBM pre-empted the phrase as the official, but untrademarked, brand name of its first home computer, only for other brands to produce compatible clones of its architecture which, to this day, are known as "[=PCs=]" (as opposed to Macintosh computers or, more recently, tablets), although the terms "PC clone" and "IBM clone" were also used. Nowadays, it inverts the trope because people refer to Windows computers specifically as "[=PCs=]", in contrast with other operating systems (which are properly considered to be "personal computers") especially Apple Macs.
322* Pentel (professional mechanical pencils and markers): in Brazil and in the Philippines respectively.
323* Pelephone (mobile phones): in Israel, from the first company to provide them there.
324* Pepto-Bismol (liquid-suspension bismuth subsalicylate – gut medicine, basically – almost always pink)
325* Petromax: In Finland, Romania and Indonesia, a paraffine fueled pressure lantern. Also Tilley.
326* Philadelphia cream cheese, while not in its country of origin, has become a case of this in Italy.
327* Photomaton is a brand of photo booth[[note]]in the digital era, they've also branched into automatic digital photo printing kiosks[[/note]] in France, but has become synonymous with "photo booth" due to their quasi-monopoly on them.
328* Photoshop (digital photographic manipulation software): Not only for software, but by extension the verb "Photoshopping" and the abbreviation "'shop"/"'shopping" for the act of digital photographic manipulation. Adobe has expressed its distaste for the use of the name in this way, which has really only motivated people to do it ''more'' out of spite.
329* Photostat (photographic copying machines): the first such machine was the "Rectigraph", introduced circa 1906-07 by the Rectigraph Company (which eventually became Xerox, themselves fighting against this trope in regards to modern copy machines), but a competing model introduced by the Commercial Camera Company (later renamed to the Photostat Corporation) a few years later introduced the "Photostat" name which was later applied to any such machine regardless of manufacturer.
330* Pickleball (a mini-tennis game played with wooden paddles and plastic balls, named after the inventor's dog)
331* Ping Pong (table tennis)
332* Placoplatre or Placo (drywall): in France
333* Plamodel/Plamo (Plastic Model) (model kits): Used in Japan; a trademark of Bandai Japan, famously for ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' model kits (AKA: "Gunpla") but also many others.
334* Plasticine (modelling clay) in the UK and many other Commonwealth countries.
335* Play-Doh (children's modelling compound)
336* Plugsuit (bodysuit used for piloting a vehicle; used in science-fiction): Term from ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' for pilot suits worn when entering their entry plug.
337* Pocket Books (Mass-market paperback books).
338* Polaroid (instant photographs)
339* Polartec (synthetic wool for outdoorsmen)
340* Polyfilla (wall and ceiling filler paste): In the UK and Australia
341* Polylux (overhead projector): in the former GDR
342* Polymer chemistry (plastics) should deserve its own chapter:
343** Teflon (US) and Fluon (UK) for polytetrafluorethylene. Teflon is Du Pont trademark while Fluon is that of ICI. Hostaflon (Germany) is that of Hoechst.
344** Nylon (Du Pont) for polyamide 66; and given not every nylon is the polymer patented by [=DuPont=], it goes one step further)
345** Kevlar (Du Pont) for polyaramide
346** Plexiglas (transparent polyacrylate, AtoHaas trademark); Perspex in the UK (ICI trademark)
347** Mylar (Du Pont trademark) for polyethylene terephthalate; Terylene in the UK (ICI trademark))
348** Hostalen (Hoechst trademark) for HD-polyethylene
349** Lexan (GE trademark) for polycarbonate
350** Polystyrol (BASF trademark) for polystyrene
351** Torlon (Solvay trademark) for polyamideimide
352** Neoprene (Du Pont trademark) for polychloroprene
353** Orlon and Lycra (Du Pont trademarks) for polyacrylonitrile
354** Vectran (Kurary trademark) for aromatic polyester
355** Rayon is older than all of these, first coined in 1855 to refer to [[MadeOfExplodium nitrocellulose]] fiber, and later applied to cellulose acetate and several similar products with a cellulose base.
356** In Russia, polymer foams are collectively known as Porolon, after a Norwegian importer.
357* Pop Tarts (toaster pastries)
358* Popsicle (ice pop): in the USA and Canada.
359* Port-a-Potty (portable toilet), in the USA and Canada.
360** The UK equivalent is Portaloo.
361* Post-It Notes (self-sticking removable notes)
362* Pot Noodle (instant noodle snack food): in the UK.
363* [=PowerPoint=], to some extent, for slide show applications.
364* Print Club (photo booth first made for Japan by Creator/{{Atlus}} and Creator/{{Sega}}, according to [[Website/{{Wikipedia}} The Other Wiki]], known as "Purikura" for short)
365* Prozac (fluoxetine-based anti-depressants)
366* Purell (anti-bacterial hand sanitizer)
367* Putt-Putt golf (miniature golf)
368** Goofy Golf is also used occasionally
369** A less often used name is Pee-wee golf, which more often refers to full-fledged (i.e., non-miniature) golf played by younger players[[note]]In the sense of "pee-wee football", or "pee-wee hockey", etc.[[/note]]
370* Primus: In Finland and Russia, a portable gas cooker.
371* Pylox (Aerosol spray paint)
372* Quadraphonic sound (four channel[[note]]two front left and right channels, and two back left and right channels[[/note]] sound playback system that was used developed and used for records mainly in the 1970s)
373** "Quadraphonic" was originally a brand name that referred to Columbia Records' SQ (Stereo Quadraphonic) system which was one of the earliest attempts at surround sound (even if it was just for music). Other systems include Electro-Voice 4 (also known as EV-4; marketed as "4 channel stereo"), Compatible Discrete 4 (CD-4; marketed as "Quadradisc"), and Sansui's QS (Quadraphonic Synthesizer) Regular Matrix system (marketed as "QS 4-channel stereo"). However, the term "quadraphonic" has since come to refer to any 4 channel surround sound.[[note]]Unfortunately, all of them are incompatible with each other, and were all gone by the end of the decade.[[/note]]
374* Quest (point-and-click {{Adventure Game}}s): in Russia, after Creator/{{Sierra}}'s various "Quest" series.
375* Q-Tips (cotton swabs): in the US and Canada. In Finland, Topz. In Brazil, Cotonete.
376* Raid (insecticide): See also Baygon, also owned by S.C Johnson
377* Rapid Refund (refund anticipation loan, or RAL): a trademark of H&R Block.
378* Realdoll (sex dolls): [=RealDoll=] is a U.S.-based company which produces lifesized, silicone sex dolls and {{sexbot}}s. There are dozens of companies producing lifesized sex dolls made of silicone and similar materials throughout the U.S., Asia, and Europe. However, they do get the most media exposure, creating the misperception among the public that ''all'' high-end sex dolls are in fact "realdolls".
379* Realtor (real estate agent): A trademarked term for members of the National Association of Realtors in the US, dating back to 1948. Attempts to challenge the trademark on the grounds that "realtor" is a generic word have been rejected by the courts.
380* Refrigerator (electric ice boxes): "Refrigerator" was declared a household word long ago, and for a while, "Frigidaire" looked like it was headed in the same direction.
381* Rinso (detergent): At least in Australia and Indonesia
382* Ritalin (methylphenidate, a stimulant)
383* Roach Motel (roach trap; coined by Black Flag, although it was not the first roach trap ever made[[note]]It was actualy made in response to a roach trap made by d-con.[[/note]])
384* Rollerblade (in-line roller skates)
385* Rolodex (circular address books)
386* Rotring in grade schools seems to be synonymous with 'mechanical pencil'. Any other kind of rotring product will [[SeriousBusiness trigger aggressive arguments]] and the person owning it is likely to be on the receiving end.
387* Rover: any bicycle in Poland is a rover
388* Rubik's Cube (combination puzzle): Officially, the name refers only to 3x3x3 combination puzzles produced by Rubik's. Most people use the term for any cubic combination puzzle, regardless of dimensions or company. Some people even use it for ''non-cubic'' combination puzzles, like the Pyraminx (tetrahedral) and the Megaminx (dodecahedral).
389* Rugby (adhesive): A brand of rubber contact adhesive in the Philippines which gained notoriety for its addictive toluene fumes, giving rise to the term "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_boy rugby boy]]" or "solvent boy"--gangs of street children in the country who huff Rugby and other commonly-abused inhalants to mask their hunger and resort to petty crime in order to further fund their addiction.
390* Saltine crackers, which are more generically called soda crackers.
391* Saran Wrap / Glad Wrap (see 'cellophane' above)
392* Scantron sheets: (US, Canada) The fill-in bubble sheets used for standardized tests.
393* Scotch tape (clear adhesive tape): Used in the USA and Russia; just "Scotch" in France.
394* Scottex -- how the Scott Paper Company is called Italy -- is synonymous with paper towel over there.
395** The same happened with Sopalin (a French company) in France.
396* Technically, Seeing Eye Dogs only come from The Seeing Eye in New Jersey. Dogs trained to lead the blind that are bred or trained by another organization are just called "guide dogs".
397* Sellotape (clear adhesive tape): Used in the UK, as well as in many former UK territories. Series/BluePeter, in keeping with Creator/TheBBC's strict rules on ProductPlacement[[note]]Short version: ''None of that!''[[/note]] referred to it as "sticky tape" in their arts-and-crafts segments for decades.
398* In Korea and Japan, mechanical pencils are commonly known as "Sharp pencils." Not because they have keen tips, but because they were popularized there by the Sharp company, more known for making electronics.
399* Sharpie (permanent marker). And an even older brand, Magic Marker -- in North America and ''Japan'', interestingly enough.
400* Sheetrock (drywall/plasterboard)
401* Sherrin (UsefulNotes/AustralianRulesFootball ball), though this is a very rare term. Sherrin is still definitely the dominant AFL ball producer, though.
402* Shop Vac (industrial-grade canister vacuum cleaner, sometimes with wet-or-dry capabilities)
403* Shreddies (malted wheat cereal), particularly in the UK.
404* Skidoo (snowmobile)
405** Seadoo (personal watercraft), to an even larger extent.
406* SkilSaw in the US, electric circular hand held saw.
407* Slurpee (a semi-frozen drink, usually purchased from a gas station or convenience store): trademarked by 7-Eleven.
408** ICEE is another trademark used for a frozen drink that is widely genericized.
409** Same with Slush Puppy.
410* Smart Board (digital whiteboard)
411* Softail: Rear suspension system on motorcycles and bicycles. Trademarked by Harley-Davidson, but is otherwise used to refer to similar cantilever rear suspensions on bikes regardless of make.
412* Solex / Velosolex (motorcycle): Averted: the story is that they came up with the word "Bromfiets" (moped in Dutch) to avoid brand-name takeover when it was about to happen and the term stuck.
413* Solo (tailgating/kegger cups)
414* Spa (bottled water) In the Netherlands and Belgium. It also has specific colors to refer to the specific types of water: Spa blue (still), Spa red (sparkling), Spa green (slightly sparkling).
415* SPAM (tinned luncheon meat). We of course have ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'' to blame for this one becoming a common noun/verb/adjective. Hormel (who own the trademark) are fine with it as long as a distinction is drawn between SPAM (upper case; their product) and spam (sentence case; unwanted advertising), and that visual images of their logo, product etc. are not used for the "spam" meaning. Heck, they even have some cross-merchandising going on, with cans of Spam bearing Terry Gilliam's artwork and promoting the Theatre/{{Spamalot}} Broadway musical. Hormel does however refer to electronic spam as "unsolicited commercial emails" in their official literature, particularly on a disclaimer regarding the use of "spam" to refer to unwanted advertising.
416* Spandex (stretchable synthetic cloth). Lycra as well.
417* Speedo (men's [[BriefsBoasting bikini-style swim briefs]]).
418* Spinning (group exercise class using stationary bikes): in the UK and Brazil
419* Splenda (sucralose, a low-calorie sugar substitute)
420* Sprite (lemon-lime soda pop that's clear in color and caffeine-free)
421** Mountain Dew ("lemon-lime" [[note]]there is no lemon or lime in Mt. Dew :it's actually on orange juice.[[/note]] soda pop that's green in color and may contain caffeine [does in the USA; does not in Canada]): Store brands tend to have both versions.
422** 7-Up was the previous generic lemon-lime. Sierra Mist is likely to avert this.
423* Squezy (dishwashing liquid): In Trinidad and Tobago.
424* Sriracha: Actually inverted. Many people assume sriracha is a brand name, but it's actually a kind of hot sauce named after the city of Sri Racha, Thailand. Huy Fong Foods' version is the best known with the rooster and the green top on the bottle. David Tran, the founder of Huy Fong Foods, never trademarked the term "sriracha."
425* Stefa (radial shaft seal): In Finland
426* Stiga (steerable ski sled): In Finland
427* Stihl (chainsaw): In Hungary.
428* Stannah (domestic stairlift): In the UK. In the public imagination, all stairlifts are Stannahs, to the point where a 1990s advertising campaign for rival brand Churchill's, featuring the actress Thora Hird, is pretty much universally (mis)remembered as being for Stannah.
429* Stetson (cowboy hats): A brand of the John B. Stetson Company. [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stetson#Price_and_popularity As the other wiki notes]], the name actually was genericized in the US for a while in the 1800s ("Within a decade the name John B. Stetson became synonymous with the word 'hat' in every corner and culture of the West."), but the Stetson Company has successfully reasserted their ownership of the name, and [[https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2011/05/17/136401552/stetson-hats-suck occasionally sends angry letters]] to writers who forget. However, in Europe, "stetson" is still used instead of "cowboy hat", regardless of the actual brand.
430* Steinberg (a now-defunct grocery chain in Quebec and Ontario): at one point, the chain was so well known that ''grocery shopping'' was often referred to in Quebec as "faire son Steinberg" (doing one's Steinberg) regardless of the chain.
431* Stratocaster: any type of electric guitar with three single coil pickups and two body cutouts. Originally Fender trademark.
432* Stubbies (men's shorts): In Australia and New Zealand; a brand of Edward Fletcher and Co.
433* Styrofoam (extruded polystyrene insulating foam)
434** Styrox in Finland.
435** In other countries, it includes such names as Spherovite, Isopor and Styropor.
436* Superglue (cyanoacrylate glue): Used in the UK and Russia. Notably that in Russia it was formerly known as "Japanese Superglue".
437** Cyanoarcrylate glue actually has two genericized names in the US; it's equally common to hear it referred to as Super Glue and Krazy Glue.
438** Superglu in France.
439** Super Bonder in Brazil. (all those with "Super" [[DubNameChange are how Loctite chose to name their glue there]])
440* Supermi, the first local instant noodle in Indonesia, was used to refer to any instant noodle by older Indonesians, though the younger generation is more likely to use the descriptive "mie instan" (literally instant noodle) due to their familiarity with English, the current dominating brand Indomie, or just "mie" (noodle) since it's usually clear from the context whether the speaker/writer meant the non-instant noodle or instant noodle.
441* Super Trouper (stage spotlight, made famous by Music/{{ABBA}}'s hit song of the same name)
442* {{Creator/Taito}}, in some parts of Brazil, meant {{pinball}} as a whole.
443* Franchise/{{Tamagotchi}} for [[VirtualPet virtual pets.]]
444* ''Tamiyas'': for Toys/Mini4WD cars in Malaysia.
445* Tannoy (public address system): in the UK. [[note]]''Magazine/PrivateEye'' magazine once printed an article in which they referred to a 'tannoy'. They received a solicitor's letter pointing out that the word 'Tannoy' should only be used in reference to a product of the Tannoy corporation, that it should always have a capital 'T' and be followed by a trademark symbol. They published this on their letters page headed 'What a ridiculous way to make a living'. Some years later they did it again and received a similar letter, which they published under the same heading, alongside the original.[[/note]]
446* Tarmac (asphalt road covering): Interestingly, the term originally referred to a completely different pavement, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarmac tar-penetration macadam]]. The development of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asphalt_concrete asphalt]] as a paving surface made macadam surfaces (which are very labor-intensive to build) obsolete, but the old alternate term for "pavement" carried forward.
447* Taser (electroshock weapons): Also appropriated as the verb "to tase". The company is quite desperate in trying to prevent genericization, which is why they will never allow the word "Taser" to be used as a verb (that's how Xerox lost their trademark) in approved media.
448* Taylor Ham (a form of processed pork product native to and beloved in the Mid-Atlantic states, especially UsefulNotes/NewJersey and eastern UsefulNotes/{{Pennsylvania}}, and legally termed [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pork_roll pork roll]]): In North Jersey and among some in Central Jersey, pork roll is called "Taylor ham" regardless of whether or not it is actually Taylor-brand pork roll. This is because "pork roll" was a hastily-chosen name for the meat after the federal government ruled that it could not be marketed as ham under the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906. South Jersey went with the new official name, while North Jersey kept the older usage, and Central Jersey (where the stuff is from) uses both.
449* Tayto (potato chips / crisps): An Irish brand.
450* Technicolor (color film process)
451* [=TelePrompTer=] (device adjacent to a TV camera with a printed script, to assist performers, hosts, politicians, etc. during live broadcasts): the [=TelePrompTer=] Corporation (which, oddly enough, owned Creator/{{Filmation}} at one point) officially dissolved in 1982, so the word can be freely written as "teleprompter" minus capitalization, though some autocorrect tools have persisted in keeping the capitals.
452* This one might seem bizarre, but Telemóvel for cell phones is this in Portugal. Originally it was used to name the ''service'' - by the "Serviço Telemóvel" ("cell phone service") consortium and by its sucessor, the [=TMN=] company[[note]]since absorved by [=MEO=][[/note]] which used "Serviço Telemóvel" as its slogan during its very first years. After a while the word became commonly spoken to name the ''equipment'' used for the service, but as late as the mid-2000s the expression "P[[note]]as in, Portugal[[/note]] Telemóvel" was used to name the carrier on [=TMN=]'s cell phones instead of the more usual "P [=TMN=]".
453* Tesafilm (clear adhesive tape): in Germany. In Austria, it's Tixo.
454* Texta (permanent marker): in Australia.
455* Thermos (temperature-regulating vacuum flasks): In the company's early years (1910-1922), the Thermos company deliberately invoked the trope since they felt it was basically free advertising. They changed their mind by 1923 as the vacuum flask market grew, registering their trademark, protesting against dictionaries that included "thermos" as a generic word and even employing a clipping service to find and squash unauthorized usages. This effort was all for naught, however, following a 1958 lawsuit against Aladdin Industries for marketing "thermos bottles", which ended in 1962 with a judge ruling that "thermos" was generic due to the company's failure to defend the trademark. The company still retains the trademark in some countries.
456* Tilley for kerosene lanterns
457* Timbits (donut holes): In Canada.
458* Tippex or Tipp Ex (correction fluid): Especially in places where Wite Out and Liquid Paper isn't very popular.
459* [=TIR=]: Romania - generic name for a semi-truck. Due to their [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TIR_Convention#/media/File:Volvo_FH_semi-trailer_Dsc0032nl.jpg big plates]] affixed as part of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TIR_Convention TIR Convention]].
460* TOI TOI (porta-potty): in Poland and Hungary (in Hungary the name also sounds similar to the slang for the actual act you do in one, akin to calling a biscuit brand "crunch-crunch"). It bothered the company so much, it changed it's name.
461** Also popular in Malaysia ever since a company with a similar name started distributing porta-potties in the country (also, the name is catchy, and it has a cute little devil as its mascot).
462* [=TomTom=] (GPS unit) in the Netherlands. Especially during the mid to late 2000's, when it was the leading brand in the Netherlands. It's fallen out of use after smartphones became popular.
463* Top Ramen (instant noodles)
464* Touch-Tone ("dual-tone multi-frequency signaling"): With rotary-dial phones deader than dodos, this term has fallen out of use.
465* Trampoline (rebound tumbler)
466* Trangia: In Finland, a portable alcohol-fueled camp cooker
467* Franchise/{{Transformers}} (toys that transform between robots and vehicles or other things). Also used for other goods that can change between a number of distinct forms.
468* Trojan (condom) in the US.[[note]]Why anyone would name a condom brand after a people infamous for ''letting in something they shouldn't'' and suffering harshly for it is a riddle for the ages.[[/note]] Also the brand name of detergent in Malaysia, but has since fallen out of use in favor of "Dynamo". In Europe and Malaysia at least, the brand "Durex" is the analogous word for condoms instead.
469* [=TiVo=] (digital video recorder): Used as the verb for "to record a program on a digital video recorder". This has gradually become less common as other DVR services have become more popular than [=TiVo=], and if you just say you'll "record" TV its generally assumed to be on DVR anyway.
470** Sky Plus is the equivalent in the UK, though because Sky Plus comes integrated in the Sky satellite service, you'll sometimes hear about people trying to buy a 'Sky Plus' box for their Freeview.
471** In Australia it's referred to as IQ, from the Foxtel IQ pay-tv recording system which introduced digital recording and pausing/reversing live-tv several years before Freeview, [=DVRs=] or [=TiVo=] came into the Australian market, at least on a mass-consumer level.
472* Trak-Ball: An inversion. Creator/{{Atari}} coined this spelling for the trackballs used in some of their arcade games (e.g., ''VideoGame/{{Centipede}}'', ''VideoGame/MissileCommand'', etc.), but trackballs had existed prior to ones Atari made.
473* Tupperware (plastic storage tubs)
474* Tylenol: see Panadol.
475* Tyvek (flash-spun polyethylene fiber): Developed by Dupont.
476[[/folder]]
477
478[[folder:U - Z]]
479* UsefulNotes/{{U|ltimateFightingChampionship}}FC for UsefulNotes/MixedMartialArts or Ultimate Fighters for mixed martial artists, distressingly but not too surprisingly, considering the [[Wrestling/{{WWE}} World Wrestling Federation]] almost did the same with UsefulNotes/ProfessionalWrestling and UFC basically followed that model, with hindsight on their side built a better model.
480* In Japan, UFO Catcher--a specific type of claw machine developed by Creator/{{Sega}}--has become the catch-all term for claw machines in general.
481* Ugg boots are a weird inversion -- an Australian company sued for trademark infringement countersuing to overturn the Ugg trademark, on the grounds that "ugg boot" was a generic term long before it was a trademark. The trademark was declared invalid in Australia, but ''not'' in the US.
482* Under Armour seems to be headed this way for performance doubleknits. In Australia Skins is the preferred term (also a brand).
483* Unitas (sit down flush toilet): A model of ceramic flush toilet marketed by Thomas Twyford, it was so popular in Russia that it simply become the regular word for "toilet" in Russian (Унитаз, "Unitaz").
484* V-Cinema (DirectToVideo releases of films/episodes): A trademark of Toei Company. In the US, this is the term for Japanese DTV releases in the States.
485* Variac (variable autotransformer)
486* Vaseline (petroleum jelly)
487* Valvoline (the oil company) as a generic word for "manual gearbox oil" in the 1990s. Mostly [[{{UsefulNotes/Romania}} Romania]]. Died out when the post-2000 generation of cars did no longer require gearbox oil replenishes. Rather ironically, most gear oils available were ''not'' even made by Valvoline.
488* Velcro (hook-and-loop fasteners)
489* Ventolin (Salbutamol inhalers): A trademark of [=GlaxoSmithKline=]. Undoubtably because the brand pretty much has a monopoly in certain western countries because pharmaceutical companies love monopolies. However, even in countries where there are competition (for example, Malaysia, which also has Becotide and Asthalin), Ventolin tends to still be the catch-all name for inhalers that are used for asthma relief.
490* Vetsin: Trade name by Tien Chun Ve-Tsin for MSG or monosodium glutamate; it is commonly used in the Philippines to refer to similar products regardless of manufacturer, most especially from Ajinomoto. What's even intriguing is that competing products from other firms also affixed the said brand name owing to Vetsin's brand recognition, like in the case with [[http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9X3BL5D6WvM/T-UHuUGTlPI/AAAAAAAACGo/JyJ7Qn5Qe0U/s1600/marka+manok+vetsin.jpg Marca Manok Ve-Tsin]].
491* Viagra (sildenafil): Trademarked by Pfizer.
492* Vicodin: used to describe opioid painkiller pills
493* Victrola (phonograph): A trademark of the Victor Talking Machine Company (later absorbed into [[Creator/RCARecords RCA Victor]]). Something of a generic term for a phonograph record player in the early 20th century, but this use faded over time, and these days people just call them "turntables" or "record players". (That is, when they're not asking, "WhatAreRecords") Outside the English language, "Victrola" is still understood as a record player.
494** In Brazil, the "c" was dropped and the word for record player became "vitrola".
495* Videotape was originally a trademark of Ampex (who introduced the first successful videotape machine in 1956), which meant competitors like RCA had to use "television tape" instead.
496* Vise-Grips, or Mole grips in the UK: Two brand names that have since come to refer to any adjustable locking pliers.
497* Visqueen (plastic sheeting)
498* Vinyl: originally referring to Polyvinyl chloride (a.k.a. PVC), it now refers to vinyl records (a.k.a. gramophone or phonograph records), predominantly made of PVC after the 1950s.
499* Music/{{Vocaloid}} (musical speech synthesizer software): A Yamaha trademark, often used whenever synthesized voices get used for music regardless of if that was the intended use of the software. Sees common use in Japan, where it is frequently shortened to "Vocalo" (ボカロ), even if it's made using other singing synthesizers such as Music/SynthV or Music/{{UTAU}}. "Vocaloid" is frequently used to describe the characters attached to the software as well, i.e. "Music/HatsuneMiku is a Vocaloid"; the official term to use in that context is "virtual singer".
500* Vortex: A high-speed mixer used in science labs to mix small vials of liquid
501* Walkman (portable cassette player): A Sony trademark. Mostly phased out by both CD players and mp3 players, though with the iPod Brand Name Takeover and the fact that Sony still uses the term Walkman for their portable music players, it's possible to say that you have an iPod that's a Walkman.
502* Winchester (hard disk drive). The model that pioneered the type, IBM 3040, had a working name "30-30" (2 blocks of 30 MB each), the same as the famous [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchester_Model_1894 Winchester 30-30 rifle]].
503* Windex (glass and mirror cleaning spray). Windex refers to sailing wind direction vane in Finland.
504* Winnebago (Class A recreational vehicle)
505* Wite Out (correction fluid)
506** Called "Twink" in New Zealand.
507** And "Tipp-Ex" in the UK, France, the Netherlands, and Sweden. There was a time when Snopake gave Tipp-Ex a serious run for its money in the race to be the first to lose its identity.
508** And "Liquid Paper" in Australia and parts of South-East Asia and South America.
509* X-Acto knife (utility knife)
510** Known as a Stanley knife (also a genericised trademark) in Australia, New Zealand and the UK.
511** In the US X-Acto refers to a light duty craft knife, Stanley refers to a heavier duty knife or utility knife, used in construction etc.
512* Xerox (photocopying machines). In Mongolia, it's Canon. It has advanced to the point that [[http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/03/identifying_photocopy_machine.html a man has said on record]] to have never remembered hearing of the act of photocopying as anything other than 'to xerox'. The Fuji Xerox, the company that makes the machines, ''even released an ad'' [[https://scontent.fyyz1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/276266478_1072014216990238_8283817290741560566_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5cd70e&_nc_ohc=3tsmsM_APvcAX_BJ_kE&_nc_ht=scontent.fyyz1-2.fna&oh=00_AfBltVjeI4c9cdoKHYZxcFsi_7bp6nr5PeeZLMxYW--xkw&oe=639C009F in the Philippines]] warning people to stop that practice as the word is trademarked.
513* Yakult (fermented milk)
514** In Malaysia and Singapore, it's ''Vitagen'' for simply being the first brand of fermented milk to appear in the country.
515* Yo-yo (spinning toy on string)
516** "Yo-yo" lost its trademark protection back around 1965, but "Duncan" is still protected.
517** It's apparently still protected in Canada. Nintendo changed "Yo-yo" to "Star" in its Platform/VirtualConsole rerelease of ''VideoGame/StarTropics'' for this reason (yet the yo-yo remains unaltered in ''[[VideoGame/KirbySuperStar Kirby Super Star Ultra]]'')
518* Zamboni (ice resurfacing machines) This got so far that when American Speedskater KC Boutiette saw a Dutch "natural" ice-rink use tractors to resurface their ice he called them Zambonis. This is parodied in ''VideoGame/PlantsVsZombies'' with the [[{{Pun}} Zomboni]] enemy--its FlavorText is "Not to be mistaken for a Zamboni® brand ice resurfacing machine. Zamboni® and the image of the ice-resurfacing machine are registered trademarks of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc., and "Zomboni" is used with permission. For all your non-zombie related ice resurfacing needs, visit www.zamboni.com!" This is simultaneously whimsical and serious, as "Zamboni" ''is'' a trademark of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc.
519* Zeppelin (rigid airship) which also often leads to an OrphanedEtymology when [[ZeppelinsFromAnotherWorld the word shows up in]] SpeculativeFiction.
520* Zimmer Frame or just Zimmer (adult walking frame): in the UK.
521* Ziploc Bags (disposable, resealable zippered storage bags)
522* Zipper (interlocking fasteners): Originally a trademark for a brand of rubber overshoes made by B.F. Goodrich, one of the first widely-sold products using zippers as fasteners. The name transferred to the fasteners. Referred to in some countries, including Britain, as simply "zips".
523* Zippo (refillable windproof cigarette lighters)
524* Zodiac in France (motorized inflatable boats)
525* As of 2020, Zoom is starting to become this for video tele-conferencing software.
526[[/folder]]
527
528!!In-Universe
529[[folder:Literature]]
530* By the time of the dystopic cyberpunk plot in ''Literature/CloudAtlas'', watches are called "rolexes", films as "disneys", shoes as "nikes", and so on.
531* In ''Literature/RieselTalesTwoHunters'', androids are usually referred to as "Rets," short for [=RetiNew=]. This was originally the name of a special line of social droids made to accompany their owners wherever they went, but has since become a generic term for all androids.
532* In the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' novels, most notably ''Literature/TheFifthElephant'', the Sonky Rubber Goods Company's early pioneering in the world of contraceptives has resulted in condoms of any manufacture being referred to as "a packet of sonkies".
533[[/folder]]
534[[folder:Western Animation]]
535* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', automobiles are largely referred to as "Satomobiles", even if they're not an actual Satomobile. "Satomobile" refers to a specific car brand started by Hiroshi Sato.
536[[/folder]]

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