My House of Ink

For emerging companies, name recognition is one of the biggest obstacles. Many people will purchase products simply because of a familiar moniker, and while most companies dream about being a household name, for others it is actually cause for distress. If a name becomes too ubiquitous, it runs the risk of losing its copyright protection. Note that little symbol at the end of the “Xerox” image; without that, any company would have free reign to use that name.

For example, do you blow your nose with Kleenex or facial tissue? Do you use Q-Tips or cotton swabs? Make copies or Xerox? While these distinctions may seem pedestrian enough, the aforementioned companies have all made concerted efforts to distinguish their unique product and moniker from the competition in order to maintain their copyright. This ensures that Kleenex is the only one who can use that title for marketing facial tissues and Xerox printer ink and machines maintain their level of differentiation.