Common dictionary words are not trademarkable. In fact, if an existing trademark becomes common in speech it becomes genericized and the trademark is lost. One of my personal hobbies is doing that to Velcro.

That, and you've got to remember how big iPods were at the time. In 2007, it was weird that Apple was entering the cell phone market. The iSomething branding basically saved the company in 2001 with the iMac and iBook, the iPod was the first electronics gadget I ever remember being worn as a status symbol, the first that got treated like designer clothing or shoes. That "I have an iPod, and you have...whatever that is." White headphone cords were a fashion statement. The Motorola Razr phone got the same treatment before the iPhone.

[–] dactylotheca@suppo.fi 3 points 3 days ago (2 children)

One of my personal hobbies is doing that to Velcro

Oh you mean velcro?

[–] kamen@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago

Is this xerox a Canon?

[–] captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

See? It's working.

[–] borth@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 days ago (2 children)

That's a brand??? Then what's the actual thing called?

[–] captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Yeah most space age material names are. It's dacron wrapped in mylar surmounted in inconel plated in clyno and attached with velcro. Which of those did I make up?

[–] Iron_Lynx@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I know that Mylar, Inconel and Velcro are real, so it's a toss-up between Dacron and Clyno.

After consulting an online source, I vote that Clyno is the imposter.

[–] LH0ezVT@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 days ago

I have only heard some old-fashioned sailors and marketing people call it Dacron, everybody else has settled on polyester

[–] RebekahWSD@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago

Hook and loop fastener or something long and unwieldy

[–] kamen@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Physical products - maybe, but it doesn't seem to apply to software. And Apple is not the only offender in that (although I have to admit that they're somewhat good at coming up with generic and yet recognisable names because of the context). Just try to think of a desktop or mobile OS that doesn't bundle a default app with a generic name like Files, Mail, Internet and so on.

[–] LwL@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago

They're not trying to trademark those. Others can call their default apps the same thing and it's fine. Others can't call their default in house browser chrome (unless they're google).