Genericide: The Case of Aspirin - Jones IP Law
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In the trademark world, "genericide" describes how a brand name can become so common it turns into a generic term for a product or service, irrespective of its origins. This scenario signals a brand's widespread acceptance but also the loss of its trademark protection. A prime example is the term "Aspirin."

This is apparently a case of a genericized trademark

I thought aspirin was the general name for the painkilling medicine, like acetaminophen of ibuprofen

  • FiskFisk33English
    3·
    25 days ago

    Hah, I didn’t know it wasn’t. (not english native speaker)

    Using that word misses out on the much more fun original name: Acetylsalicylic acid.

    yeah, I get why “Aspirin” stuck

    • Chais@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      4·
      25 days ago

      Even better. There’s a generic that just abbreviates the German name of the active substance for its name: AcetylSalicylSäure