Last week, I posted an article on what a business can do to avoid genericism of its trademark and how critical it is for all trademark registrants to look at how the public and third parties are using the marks and trade names. If a trademark is not used correctly, it can become generic and lose its protected status. This weekend, I saw a full page ad in the Sunday Newspaper that was an excellent example of a company educating the public about the use of its trade name in an effort to avoid genericism.

Somewhere along the way, the term “Jeep”  began to lose its brand identifying meaning to the public. “Jeep” became synonymous with “sport utility vehicles” and “off-road vehicle.” Jeep is spending a substantial sum of money to protect its mark by educating the public about its brand identifying function. This Jeep Advertisement is an excellent example of trademarks “done right.”

If you find yourself in a similar situation, an experienced trademark attorney can help you avoid genericism of your company’s marks.