Subject:
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Re: Lore on Lego vs. Legos
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.mediawatch
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Date:
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Wed, 4 Feb 2004 22:35:32 GMT
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Viewed:
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1919 times
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In lugnet.mediawatch, Dave Schuler wrote:
> Still, someone can refer to "Fords" or "Toyotas" without causing an
> uproar, so there is some precedent for pluralized brandnames, however
> incorrectly it might apply to LEGO.
Can you tell me the one automobile brand name that is generically equated with
all automobiles? That's right, there isn't one. Most auto companies refer to
their own vehicles in that style, even as part of their own jingos. This is the
other side of the street, where companies who don't have to worry about their
trademarks being diluted actually want you to think "Widget(tm)" instead of
"gear" because it means you're more likely to buy brand Widget over brand Gizmo.
> Maybe the fatal flaw in the "LEGO is correct" viewpoint is this: Is there
> anyone who wouldn't know what is meant when someone says "Legos" in
> context?
Clearly there are, as many parents see all LEGO-style bricks as being "legos",
regardless of manufacturer. And in this case, unlike with automobiles, it
actually hurts the name-brand company to have a bunch of other companies
mooching off their reputation.
> As long as the corrupted pseudo-plural can retain any traction in popular
> usage, then TLG's efforts to maintain the brandname's purity are doomed!
They don't need to utterly eliminate incorrect usage of their trademark to have
made the effort worthwhile. Victory is often measured in drops rather than
oceans.
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: Lore on Lego vs. Legos
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| (...) Still, I've heard people say "I'd never buy a Ford" or "Fords suck" or that kind of thing, so at some level it is true that people can equate a brand with all subsets of the brand. Nevertheless, your point is well taken. (...) Eeek! Good (...) (20 years ago, 4-Feb-04, to lugnet.mediawatch)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: Lore on Lego vs. Legos
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| (...) If "Legos" grates on you the way "nukuler" grates on me, then you have my sympathy! Still, someone can refer to "Fords" or "Toyotas" without causing an uproar, so there is some precedent for pluralized brandnames, however incorrectly it might (...) (20 years ago, 4-Feb-04, to lugnet.mediawatch)
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