Words you didn’t know were registered trade marks

A trade mark helps you to identify and distinguish one party’s goods or services from another’s. Some companies do this well and have built whole businesses around particular words and phrases.

Below is a list of words which are commonly used by the public but are in fact registered trade marks. This means the companies who own them have exclusive rights to using the word or phrase.

1)Bubble Wrap
This favourite packaging material was registered as a trade mark in 1983 and is owned by the Sealed Air Corporation.

2) Super Hero
Joint-owned by rivals DC Comics and Marvel Comics, this trade mark has been under the spotlight recently after a case involving a law student who used the word in the title of a book he was writing.

3) Tupperware
Tupperware got its name from creator, Earle Silas Tupper.

4) PowerPoint
According to trade mark owners Microsoft, unless you’re a using their software your PowerPoint is in fact a slightly less catchy “presentation graphics program.”

5) Jet Ski
If it’s not made by Kawasaki it’s not a Jet Ski.

6) TASER
TASER International owns this trade mark. The word has become so common that the verb “to tase” is now regularly used to describe it.

7) Jacuzzi
Not only is Jacuzzi a brand of hot tubs and bathtubs, they also make mattresses and toilets.

8) Ping Pong
What’s the difference between Ping-Pong and table tennis? Ping-Pong indicates the brand of equipment used to play the sport of table tennis.

If you would like any further information about how you can register your trade mark, please contact our trade mark team.