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[LordCiego]

33 years old and from Spain and this is the first time in my life that I hear this has a name that is not Velcro. I don't think many people would know what is a hook and loop is you asked them.

 

[marimorimo]

My mom still calls it Nintendo. In fact she calls every video game system I've ever owned a Nintendo since that's as much as she cares about this hobby.

Where I live, most moms and grandmas call all video systems “Playstation”.

I once saw an online ad for a used “Playstation DS.” (Pic showed an OG 3DS)

 

[Westbahnhof]

I really like all those terms that name the thingie after the origin.
Klettverschluss.
It's all about that uncopyrighted burdock, yo.

 

[Milchjon]

I really like all those terms that name the thingie after the origin.
Klettverschluss.
It's all about that uncopyrighted burdock, yo.

Was just about to mention Klettverschluss. It's kind of a cool name.

 

[andythinkpad]

So they made half a billion last year? What else do they sell beside [censor] Velcro?

 

[red731]

Funny.

But nope. Sorry.

 

[BraXzy]

Huh.. I never knew Velcro was a company. Always just known it as the name for the thing. TIL.

 

[Alx]

Lol @

Spoiler

we (R) the world...

 

[Zomba13]

Tbh, jokes aside, this is a serious thing.

Htf Google gets away with it is bullshit.

I think Google gets away with "google" being a term used for searching stuff on the internet is because everyone just literally uses google to google stuff. Nobody says "google cheese" and then the person goes to Bing to search for cheese, they go to google.com (or whatever region).

Like the Nintendo example is valid because older people would call any game a Nintendo and any handheld a Gameboy, regardless of if it was from Nintendo or Sega or Sony but usually people only search with google. Unless you're trying to be a smart arse and tell people "bing it!".

 

[efyu_lemonardo]

that was pretty good, but really they're about 30 years too late with this

.

 

[Emitan]

Get off your high horse you bought the technology from the Vulcans

http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Velcro

 

[Mista Koo]

I've never heard an Arabic term for velcro that wasn't an onomatopoeia.

 

[Pankratous]

So Velcro isn't actually called Velcro? The product has a name?????? Wtf?

This is like how everyone in the UK (or at least; quite a lot of people) say "hoover" when they mean vacuum cleaner. "I'm gonna get the hoover out" - and then pull out a vacuum cleaner that isn't a hoover. "I'm gonna give this a hoover."

Jacuzzi, I think, is another one.

 

[CookTrain]

So Velcro isn't actually called Velcro? The product has a name?????? Wtf?

This is like how everyone in the UK (or at least; quite a lot of people) say "hoover" when they mean vacuum cleaner. "I'm gonna get the hoover out" - and then pull out a vacuum cleaner that isn't a hoover. "I'm gonna give this a hoover."

Jacuzzi, I think, is another one.

And yet Hoover's most popular product ISN'T called a Hoover by most people. What a world.

 

[massoluk]

My favorite one is dry ice, because people assume that's just like, the scientific term for it. Nope, it's literally just an arbitrary brand name from way back when.

Wow, shit. This is news to me. We literally translate it to dry ice in my language in my country

 

[lenovox1]

So they made half a billion last year? What else do they sell beside [censor] Velcro?

Specialized fastening products.

"We are constantly developing new proprietary technologies and always pushing the envelope to solve problems in the marketplace," [Scott Filion, President of the Americas] says.

"One example is certainly in the diaper world," he says, where Velcro fastening technology is very different than the "traditional" Velcro product.

Another example can be found in transportation, specifically automotive seating. In many instances, the seating fabric is held in place with Velcro brand products, "and it's a real unique, specialized technology," Filion says. "It's very custom designed, proprietary and … conforms to stringent specifications that a customer might have for us. And that's how we tend to work with customers. We'll sit down with them, they'll explain what their needs are, and we'll develop a unique product and technology for them that meet their requirements."

http://www.industryweek.com/manufacturing-leader-week/velcro-ubiquitous

 

[StarPlatinumTheWorld]

Huh, so is this like people calling all hot tubs a Jacuzzi?

 

[Stevey]

It's like here in the UK I call every vacuum cleaner that exists a Hoover.
And kitchen roll is Fiesta

 

[Pankratous]

And kitchen roll is Fiesta

Okay, I've never heard that one.

 

[Orbis]

It's like here in the UK I call every vacuum cleaner that exists a Hoover.
And kitchen roll is Fiesta

I've not heard the latter but yeah I've never called a vacuum cleaner anything but a hoover. It's also verb, as in "make sure you hoover your room' or 'I am hoovering the house'.

I'll admit I didn't know velcro was a brand. It's far worse than the hoover situation because I don't think anyone knows the actual thing is called 'hook and loop'. But we all know what a vacuum is.

 

[Fbh]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_generic_and_genericized_trademarks

Heroin being one is interesting.

So..like, If everyone was like my dad and called all Tablets "iPads", apple would lose their trademark rights over "iPad"?

 

[KonradLaw]

Here in Poland we call it rzep, which is also the name of the Burdock plant that's inspired the design

At the same time every sport shoes here are called addidas in common tongue

 

[FyreWulff]

So..like, If everyone was like my dad and called all Tablets "iPads", apple would lose their trademark rights over "iPad"?

yes

 

[TheThreadsThatBindUs]

There's a Wikipedia page on genericized trade Mark's.

This is actually eye-opening!! Never knew this could occur.

Sucks for Adobe then... trying to fight against people using "photoshop", "photoshopped" or "shopped" as a verb on the internet is battle they'll never win.

The usage is so pervasive.

 

[half a moon]

I'll keep calling it velcro sorry not sorry

 

[OTIX]

Wait, how the heck is "Dumpster" still a protected trademark? That's crazy.

 

[MicH]

O had no idea velcro was a brand, always assumed it was just the name for that stuff.

That wiki list is really interesting. I didn't know stuff lije cellophane, heroin and dry ice were originally trademarks.

 

[DBT85]

LEGOs.

Vomit.jpg

 

[pigeon]

Fuck your trademark, capitalist shoe fasteners

 

[Dynamite Shikoku]

'Hook and loop' is too long. Why not just 'hookers'

 

[Nikodemos]

Generic trademarks can also disappear over time.

Before the second WW, people in the US used to call all fridges 'Frigidaires', yet nobody does that nowadays.

Though, interestingly, the word has remained in use as a generic term for a fridge in other languages.

 

[Oppo]

'Hook and loop' is too long. Why not just 'hookers'

they should have gone with NoCro or something for people

anyways, i guess it's a problem, for them. for us? i like expressing myself clearly

 

[Alx]

Before the second WW, people in the US used to call all fridges 'Frigidaires', yet nobody does that nowadays.

We still do in France. ^_^
Also all car horns are called "klaxon", and most ball pens are just "bic".

 

[*Splinter]

Lol, good luck with that.

Now where's my DYSON™ brand hoover...

 

[theaface]

As this 1990 NOA poster shows it's a very real fear for a company's brand.

 

[Struct09]

This was probably the best way they could have communicated this

 

[TheGrizz]

So you're telling me I'm supposed to call them 'Hook and Loop' shoes? Go fuck yourselves, this is fucking Velcro.

 

[Easy_D]

No mate, they're called plasters

We actually call them Plåster in Sweden. What a coinkydink (not really because same root word)

 

[Ethical Hedonism]

I think people won't stop calling it velcro.

 

[RSTEIN]

Hook and loop doesn't make any sense. There is no hook or loop.

Serious question. How did you think it worked? Magic?