Subject:
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Re: Wal-Mart in USA now sells "LEGOS"
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.market.shopping
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Date:
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Thu, 10 Jul 2003 20:09:57 GMT
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Viewed:
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535 times
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"Stephane Simard" <plague@videotron.ca> writes:
> Personally, I never understood Lego's big fuss over the use of the term "Legos"
> for their products. (Or any Lego fan's big fuss, for that matter). They tried
> for 25 years (maybe more) to tell people to stop using the term, yet people
> still do. People are just too used to quick terms. Barbies. GIJoes. Hot Wheels.
> Legos. It has a ring to it.
>
> Personally I just don't understand what the fuss is all about. No matter what
> happens anyway, people will always know that only the LEGO company makes "Legos"
> so I don't see how their precious brand name is diluted.
It's a legal issue. Trademarks are only valid if you defend them.
And the only way to properly use a trademark is as an adjective.
That's why you see things like "Kleenex(R) Brand Facial Tissues"
instead of just "Kleenexes" in Kimberly-Clark's ad copy. Despite the
awkward phrasing, it's the only way for them to preserve their
trademark rights. If they used "Kleenexes" in their ad copy, they
would probably lose if they tried to sue someone else for misusing the
word "Kleenex." Same goes for LEGO(R) bricks.
Anyway, there's an easy way to avoid the problem: use it as a mass
noun, like "water." For example: "A box of LEGO." "I built it out of
LEGO." "I got some LEGO for Christmas."
--Bill.
--
William R Ward bill@wards.net http://www.wards.net/~bill/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by
little statesmen and philosophers and divines." - Emerson
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: Wal-Mart in USA now sells "LEGOS"
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| (...) Personally, I never understood Lego's big fuss over the use of the term "Legos" for their products. (Or any Lego fan's big fuss, for that matter). They tried for 25 years (maybe more) to tell people to stop using the term, yet people still do. (...) (21 years ago, 9-Jul-03, to lugnet.market.shopping)
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