Some big corporations are paying big money to make sure you don’t use their names.
Usually they love it if their trademark name is well-known. But if it becomes so well-known that the name becomes generic, the company can lose the right to its own trademark.
Daniel, Ben, and Kylie are coming at you from Camp Doogs with a live episode of Talk the Talk.
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Promo
Kylie and Daniel chat ahead of the show. Our memories of Camp Doogs are fuzzy, but we did do a live show about trademark names. And Happy Hangul Day! What a great writing system.
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Show notes
Faroe Islands Translate
https://www.faroeislandstranslate.com/#!/
Faroe Islands creates its version of Google Translate after tech giant snub
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/10/06/faroe-islands-creates-its-version-google-translate-after-tech-giant-snub
Religious affiliation impacts language use on Facebook
https://phys.org/news/2017-08-religious-affiliation-impacts-language-facebook.html
Why Christians are More Positive on Facebook
http://www.ncregister.com/blog/dblackman/why-christians-are-more-positive-on-facebook
Strewth! Scrabble gets a makeover Down Under as Australia gets first slang edition
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/09/14/strewth-scrabble-gets-makeover-australia-gets-first-slang-edition/
Fair-dinkum true blue words hit new Aussie version of Scrabble
http://www.news.com.au/national/queensland/fairdinkum-true-blue-words-hit-new-aussie-version-of-scrabble/news-story/b57b046abbac9b9ff277fc86adfa91b8
‘Genericide’: When brands get too big
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/genericide-when-brands-get-too-big-2295428.html
15 Product Trademarks That Have Become Victims Of Genericization
https://consumerist.com/2014/07/19/15-product-trademarks-that-have-become-victims-of-genericization/
Velcro’s video implores consumers to say ‘hook and loop’
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/26/the-associated-press-velcros-video-implores-consumers-to-say-hook-and-loop.html
Don’t Say VELCRO®
https://www.velcro.com/about-us/dontsayvelcro/
‘Kleenex Is a Registered Trademark’ (and Other Desperate Appeals)
https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/09/kleenex-is-a-registered-trademark-and-other-appeals-to-journalists/380733/
Adobe says stop using ‘Photoshop’ as a generic term
https://www.slashgear.com/adobe-says-stop-using-photoshop-as-a-generic-term-26399495/
Check out this list from Adobe of things you’re not supposed to say, especially number 13.
https://www.adobe.com/legal/permissions/trademarks.html
Spam-maker loses bid to trademark ‘spam’
http://www.smh.com.au/news/security/spammaker-wants-us-to-stop-calling-pesky-emails-spam/2006/10/12/1160246238013.html
Can You Trademark the Phrase “Let’s Roll”?
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2002/02/can_you_trademark_the_phrase_lets_roll.html
Australian government: Common and prohibited signs
https://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/trade-marks/applying-for-a-trade-mark/decide-if-you-have-trade-mark/common-and-prohibited-signs
Trademark Erosion: Avoiding Genericide
https://www.mediamiser.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/MediaMiser-whitepaper-trademarkerosion.pdf
Should’ve seen it coming: the trademarking of public language
https://www.theguardian.com/law/shortcuts/2016/aug/17/shouldve-seen-it-coming-the-trademarking-of-public-language
I’ve Got a Problem: ‘No Problem’
https://www.wsj.com/articles/ive-got-a-problem-no-problem-1506463807
“No problem” vs “you’re welcome”
http://allthingslinguistic.com/post/124189121619/no-problem-vs-youre-welcome
Aaron Dinkin NWAV paper: It’s No Problem to Be Polite: Apparent-Time Change in Responses to Thanks (PDF)
http://www.ling.upenn.edu/~dinkin/NoProblemHandout.pdf
‘Total monster’: fatberg blocks London sewage system
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/12/total-monster-concrete-fatberg-blocks-london-sewage-system
10-Tonne ‘Fatberg’ Breaks West London Sewer
What is the difference between burg and berg in German city names?
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference-between-burg-and-berg-in-German-city-names
‘Sad react’ and ‘angry react’ as new #slang terms emerging from #emojis usage. I ❤️ #language #creativity! https://t.co/sAtcAD0osa
— Sophie Richard (@LinguistSophie) 5 October 2017
Anne Curzan: Sad React
http://www.chronicle.com/blogs/linguafranca/2017/10/04/sad-react/
Is ‘AF’ even a word?
http://mashable.com/2017/10/04/af-dictionary-real-world/
Image credit: http://img1.ak.crunchyroll.com/i/spire1/80797298242680078c5b7758a508620e1230926462_full.jpg
Transcript
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