Of Trademarks and Genericides
Next time, never use sentence like. “I googled him”. There’s a good chance you might get a letter from Google’s legal department.
This has to be a good enough proof that when cool companies get big they behave just like the other jerks. When I learnt that Google’s legal eagles have been sending out caution notices to many journos asking them not to use google as a verb, I shook my head tch-tching.
Isn’t it every company’s dream to see their product name turn into a verb or noun? I mean, just look at the examples in our everyday lives. I have always asked for a ‘frisbee’ at toy stores and never a “plastic throwing disc”. Isn’t that a big plus for Frisbee Inc? Even now, everybody says, “please Xerox this”, when they actually mean, “please photocopy this”. Huge plus for Xerox, right?
Apparently, Not.
And that’s because of Genericide. You heard of Genericide, right? No? Then, you should. It’s when a particular brand name becomes so commonplace then it becomes a common usage. Yes, note the key word here..’common’. This means, other companies can start using the name.
(pic from a Univ of Nevada, Texas course)
The classic case is with ‘Walkman’, Sony’s path-breaking portable cassette players. The brand became so famous that its become a noun. Ever heard anyone go into a electronic shop and ask for a ‘Videocon Portable Music Player’? Never. People would almost always enquire for a ‘Videocon walkman’ or a ‘Sanyo walkman’.
Gerrad puts it very nicely, “Apparently, if you can be shown to be lax in protecting your trademark, then you might lose that trademark the next time you sue someone for infringement. They’ll claim the word has passed into common, generic usage, and they’ll win because your lack of action amounts to your acceptance of that.”
No wonder, Xerox spent millions of dollars a few years ago in print and TV advertisements, educating the public that Xerox does more than just photocopiers. Do you know they are big in Document Management Solutions, Color Printers and Business Consulting Services? There’s a good chance, you may not know this.
Now, I understand why Google is paranoid in protecting its trademark. This way, as Gerrad puts it, Google can stop Microsoft from running commercials promoting their search engine as “The googling is better over here!”
Update: Apple gets into the act as well.
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Blogger.com Finally Wakes Up To Tags
It’s about time they did. They call it ‘labels’ though. So, why did it take Blogger this long when SixApart and WordPress have done this for years? Ev has the answers. Static publishing..that’s what has been holding it down.
The new Blogspot is in beta and has some new features. . Take a tour.
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What to do on BlogDay?
For a long time, I wasn’t keen on the concept of BlogDay. I would go like, “Oh no, yet another something-day”. Been having too much of these. However, when I read through the motive, I wanted to be part of it.
On August 31st, bloggers from all over the world will post a recommendation of 5 new Blogs they have discovered and which they really like, preferably, Blogs different from their own culture, point of view and attitude. On this day, blog surfers will find themselves discovering new, unknown Blogs, celebrating the discovery of new people and new bloggers.
Here’s what you can do.
1. Find 5 new Blogs that you find interesting
2. Notify the 5 bloggers that you are recommending on them on BlogDay 2005
3. Make a post with a short description with a link to the blogs.
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Easy Money And Ways to Get It
I was at a bank ATM this morning and a bright orange poster caught my eye. It was a notice from the police department warning people of the different methods that thieves follow to rob money from folks coming out of banks.
Method #1 : Thieves cut your bike’s clutch cable. While you are fiddling with it, a guy volunteers to help you out. While your attention is turned away, his accomplice on a bike snatches your bag and speeds away.
Method #2 : Thieves pour oil under the car bonnet. While you return to your car from the bank, a ‘good Samaritan’ points to the oil leak. When you bend down to check the leak, another guy snatches your bag/picks your wallet and runs away.
Method #3 : When you start off on your bike after withdrawing cash from the bank, two People on a bike come besides you to inform that you have dropped cash on the road. When you stop to check your bag/pocket, they mug you, take your money and speed away.
The first thing that stuck me was, why take so much trouble. Isn’t it much easier just clobbering the guy’s head off his senses and just walk away with the money?!
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More Sensible Top 100 Indian Blogs Ranking
SunSuna.com has undergone a very decent revamp and part of it is its listing of India’s Top 100 blogs. The results are based on Technorati ranking which is based on the number of inbound links to the blog. This is a far more realistic method of ranking than based on the number of blogs being blogrolled(a la BlogStreet).
That said, there’s more room for refinement. The perfect blog ranking system’s mantle is still vacant. A good ranking system should be based on a combination of Technorati ranking, Number of bookmarks like Del.icio.us, Google blog search results, number of blogs blogrolling you, unique visitors, number of comments, Alexa ranking & number of RSS Feed subscriptions. Yeah, I know, its an uthopian wish but quite possible. It’s far better to factor in a combination rather than base your ranking on just one criterion.
SunSuna ranking may not be perfect but its a step forward. What I like is that it brings to light some interesting blogs I haven’t known before. And that’s a good thing.
It’s really not about blog ranking. Really. It’s about the ability to showcase the best blog posts that are worthy of your time.
That’s where I firmly believe that sites that are able to filter the best blog posts and conversations will continue to rise up the popularity charts. I’m talking about sites like DesiPundit, Sulekha and SepiaMutiny. PutVote is an Indian Digg clone that has a nice chance for its first mover advantage. It however has a coterish feel and a heavy tamilish slant but as the traffic increases, variety should set in.
At a time when Indian blogosphere is rapidly growing and a sharply dispropotionate availability of time, people appreciate when someone does the dirty groundwork and gives them the best reads in one place.
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Email:Kiruba @ Kiruba.com
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Mobile : 98415 97744
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