Is there such a thing as too much brand recognition and market dominance for a product? A marketing department might tell you no, but the legal answer is yes. Over the years trademarks ranging from “trampoline” to “yo-yo” have suffered “genericide,” or having a court cancel a trademark registration on the grounds that it has become the generic name for the product. When a trademark becomes the identifier for an entire product category, then it is at risk of cancellation. Just this year Google had to go through a costly lawsuit to stave off potential genericide.
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