Zamboni is a company that makes electronic ice resurfacers. Calling the machine a zamboni is incorrect. Using a company’s name in place of the name of the product is a very common type of metonymy that may seem like a corporation’s dream, but it can actually cause them problems. In 1965, the Duncan Yo-Yo Company lost it’s trademark on the term “yo-yo” because it had become the common term to describe that sort of toy. This fear of becoming a genericized trademark is why you see companies refer to their products with such silly names as “BAND-AID® Brand Adhesive Bandages.”

Here are a few examples of these. The wikipedia entry lists a few more. Can you think of any others?

• Jacuzzi
• Coke
• Q-Tip
• Scotch Tape
• Google
• Xerox