Velcro Demands Public Say 'Hook and Loop' to Protect Trademark

Don't Say Velcro — VELCRO® Brand

VELCRO® Brand

Widespread generic use of 'velcro' as a noun or verb threatens to legally invalidate the company's registered trademark four decades after its patents expired.

AI-assisted summary of Don't Say Velcro — original source. Check the original for full context.

Source published:

Key ideas

  • The Velcro Brand Companies' legal team has launched a comedic musical PSA to combat 'genericide,' warning that using 'velcro' as a generic noun or verb threatens their registered trademark status. (0:02)
  • Although Velcro Brand invented the hook-and-loop fastener, their patent expired 40 years ago, allowing global competitors to manufacture identical materials that consumers still incorrectly call 'velcro.' (0:02)
  • The company generated half a billion dollars in revenue in the preceding year and has spent over 60 years building brand equity, justifying their aggressive legal defense of the trademark. (0:02)
  • The PSA highlights other famous brands facing similar trademark erosion, urging consumers to use generic terms like 'bleach,' 'adhesive bandage,' and 'inline skating' instead of bleeped brand names. (1:22)

Detailed notes

## Background Published on YouTube by the official VELCRO® Brand channel on September 25, 2017, this video features the Velcro Brand Companies legal team addressing widespread trademark misuse. The accompanying description explains that using "velcro" as a noun or a verb diminishes the brand's legal standing, prompting their attorneys to launch the #dontsayvelcro campaign to urge consumers to stop calling items "velcro shoes," wallets, or gloves.

## TL;DR In a comedic musical PSA, attorneys representing the Velcro Brand Companies plead with the public to stop using their name as a generic term for fasteners. Because their patent lapsed 40 years ago, competitors produce identical fastening material, but ongoing colloquial misuse puts the company at risk of genericide and losing its registered trademark. While acknowledging the privileged, "first-world" absurdity of their plea given the company's half-billion-dollar revenue, the legal team insists that the product consists of two distinct parts properly designated as "hook and loop." The lawyers also express solidarity with other brands at risk of genericization—such as makers of bleach, adhesive bandages, and inline skates—before reissuing their desperate plea to preserve their trademark.

## Atmosphere & style The video plays like a theatrical Broadway chorus crossed with an over-the-top corporate parody, blending polished musical earnestness with tongue-in-cheek self-mockery. The ensemble of lawyers delivers dramatic, impassioned harmonies punctuated by humorous bleeped profanities, creating an intentionally melodramatic contrast between serious legal distress and trivial everyday footwear. It feels absurdly self-aware and lively, openly poking fun at the attorneys' own high-earning corporate privilege while driving home a genuine intellectual property lesson.

## Bulletin - [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY&t=2s) The Velcro Brand Companies' legal team has launched a comedic musical PSA to combat 'genericide,' warning that using 'velcro' as a generic noun or verb threatens their registered trademark status. - [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY&t=2s) Although Velcro Brand invented the hook-and-loop fastener, their patent expired 40 years ago, allowing global competitors to manufacture identical materials that consumers still incorrectly call 'velcro.' - [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY&t=2s) The company generated half a billion dollars in revenue in the preceding year and has spent over 60 years building brand equity, justifying their aggressive legal defense of the trademark. - [01:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY&t=82s) The PSA highlights other famous brands facing similar trademark erosion, urging consumers to use generic terms like 'bleach,' 'adhesive bandage,' and 'inline skating' instead of bleeped brand names.

## Key takeaways - [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY&t=2s) Velcro Brand's legal team released a comedic musical PSA to address the widespread misuse of their trademark. - [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY&t=2s) Universal brand recognition has ironically created an existential legal crisis for the company. - [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY&t=2s) The company's original patent on the fastener technology lapsed 40 years ago, enabling competitors to produce identical materials. - [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY&t=2s) Using 'velcro' as a generic noun or verb (e.g., 'velcro shoes') directly violates trademark laws. - [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY&t=2s) The correct technical terminology for the fastening mechanism is 'hook and loop,' consisting of a hook side and a loop side. - [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY&t=2s) Continued generic usage of the brand name threatens to legally terminate their registered trademark status. - [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY&t=2s) The legal team acknowledges the campaign is a 'first-world situation,' noting the company is financially thriving with half a billion dollars in revenue last year. - [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY&t=2s) Velcro Brand has spent over 60 years building and defending its brand equity. - [01:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY&t=82s) The campaign expresses solidarity with other successful brands suffering from 'genericide' due to cultural dominance. - [01:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY&t=82s) Consumers are urged to use the generic term 'bleach' instead of the brand name Clorox. - [01:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY&t=82s) The term 'adhesive bandage' should be used instead of the brand name Band-Aid. - [01:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY&t=82s) The activity of wheeled boots is properly called 'inline skating' rather than Rollerblading. - [01:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY&t=82s) The attorneys admit genericized brand names are more fun to say but warn that continued misuse will destroy their trademarks.

## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY&t=2s) The Legal Nightmare of Brand Success: Patent Expiry and the Fight for the Circled "R"

The legal team representing the Velcro Brand Companies steps forward in a comedic, full-throated musical PSA to address a widespread public misconception about their flagship invention. On the surface, the company appears to have achieved the ultimate corporate dream: universal recognition. Everywhere people go, they encounter the ubiquitous, scratchy, hairy fastener and instinctively exclaim, "Hey! That's velcro!" However, this level of everyday ubiquity is actually creating an existential legal crisis for the business. Although the company originally invented the material, their patent lapsed 40 years ago, opening the door for competitors across the globe to manufacture identical fasteners. The enduring problem is that no matter who produces the material today, the general public still insists on labeling all of it "velcro."

While an average observer might assume that becoming a household name is an enviable triumph, the company's attorneys explain that it is causing them immense operational grief. People using the brand name as a generic noun or verb are directly violating trademark laws, a reality laid out plainly in their legal briefs. The situation is inherently confusing because "Velcro Brand" is the actual corporate identity, yet widespread misuse threatens to invalidate their intellectual property. As the chorus bluntly warns, continued generic usage means the company will lose its registered trademark status: “This is called 'hook and loop,' this part's a hook, this part's a loop.” To drive the point home, the legal team passionately implores the audience: “You call it 'velcro,' but we're begging you, this is (bleep)-ing 'hook and loop.'”

The performers openly acknowledge the absurdity and privilege inherent in their legal crusade, explicitly labeling it a classic "first-world situation." They point out that the business is financially thriving, having pulled in half a billion dollars the previous year—even joking that one lawyer was able to vacation in the Turks and Caicos on those earnings. Nevertheless, after spending more than six decades building equity in their brand, they cannot afford to let colloquial habits erode their legal standing. They plead with consumers to stop calling their footwear "velcro shoes," warning that if the habit persists, their core trademark will legally be terminated.

```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: The Threat of Genericide to the VELCRO® Trademark accDescr: Diagram illustrating how widespread generic usage threatens the legal registered trademark status of the Velcro Brand.

subgraph Origin["Historical Innovation"] A["Invention of Hook & Loop"] --> B["Patent Protection"] B -->|"Lapsed 40 years ago"| C["Competitors Enter Market"] end

subgraph ConsumerHabit["Everyday Language Misuse"] C --> D["Public calls all fasteners 'velcro'"] D --> E["Used as generic noun/verb<br>(e.g., 'velcro shoes')"] end

subgraph LegalConsequence["Intellectual Property Risk"] E --> F["Trademark laws broken"] F --> G["Loss of circled 'R' ®"] G --> H["Genericide: Trademark gets killed"] end ```

- **Patent expiration:** The company's original patent on the fastener technology lapsed 40 years prior to the video. - **Financial performance:** The company generated half a billion dollars in revenue in the preceding year. - **Brand timeline:** The company spent over 60 years building and defending the Velcro Brand name. - **Correct technical terminology:** The physical fastening mechanism consists of two distinct components properly designated as a "hook" and a "loop."

---

[01:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY&t=82s) A Shared Brand Tragedy: Genericide and the Bleeped Trademarks

The attorneys broaden their message beyond their own corporate self-interest, emphasizing that their campaign is staged in solidarity with every highly successful brand that has fallen victim to its own popularity. When a product achieves total cultural dominance, consumers routinely begin substituting brand names for the underlying category nouns, placing those companies in legal jeopardy. The video presents a rapid-fire series of common everyday scenarios to teach viewers how to substitute generic product terms for famous brand names that are humorously censored with loud bleeps.

The singers run through clear everyday comparisons to show how proper consumer language should function: - When cleaning dirty socks, consumers should use the generic word "bleach" rather than blurting out the brand name Clorox (bleeped in the audio). - When attending to a cut or scrape, the item applied to the skin is technically an adhesive "bandage" rather than a Band-Aid (bleeped). - When going out on an active date on wheeled boots, the activity is properly identified as "inline skating" rather than Rollerblading (bleeped).

The lawyers readily admit that genericized brand names roll off the tongue far more easily: “I know that bleeped stuff is more fun to say, but if you keep doing it our trademarks go away.” To cement the lesson before the video cuts off, the ensemble launches back into their passionate, expletive-censored refrain, reiterating that one half of the fastener is a hook, the other half is a loop, and consumers must stop calling generic fasteners by the proprietary Velcro name.

## Mentioned Band-Aid, Clorox, Rollerblade, Turks and Caicos, VELCRO® Brand, Velcro Brand Companies

## Video description Our Velcro Brand Companies legal team decided to clear a few things up about using the VELCRO® trademark correctly – because they’re lawyers and that’s what they do. When you use “velcro” as a noun or a verb (e.g., velcro shoes), you diminish the importance of our brand and our lawyers lose their *insert fastening sound.* So please, do not say “velcro shoes” (or “velcro wallet” or “velcro gloves”) - we repeat “velcro” is not a noun or a verb. VELCRO® is our brand. #dontsayvelcro

Watch our next video about YOUR feedback: https://youtu.be/ZLWMQLMiTPk

Learn more at http://www.velcro.com

See the making of this video and more behind-the-scenes footage: https://youtu.be/oP-fZdFfOGE.

[Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY)

中文简报

为保护商标，威扣要求公众改称“钩毛搭扣” 在专利过期四十年后，将“velcro”广泛当作名词或动词的通用化使用，可能在法律上令该公司的注册商标失效。 在一段喜剧音乐公益宣传片中，代表威扣品牌公司（Velcro Brand Companies）的律师们恳求公众停止将其名称用作搭扣紧固件的通用统称。由于其专利已于40年前失效，竞争对手如今能够生产完全相同的搭扣材料，但持续的口语误用使该公司面临“通用商标化”并失去注册商标的风险。尽管法律团队承认，鉴于公司年收入高达5亿美元，这一请求带有某种优渥“第一世界”式的荒谬感，但他们坚称该产品由两个独立部分组成，应准确称作“钩毛搭扣”（hook and loop）。律师们还对其他面临通用化风险的品牌——例如漂白剂、创可贴和直排轮滑鞋的生产商——表达了声援，随后再次发出恳求，希望保住自身的商标。 威扣品牌公司的法律团队推出了一部喜剧音乐公益宣传片以应对“通用商标化”，警告称将“velcro”用作通用名词或动词会危及他们的注册商标地位。 (0:02) 尽管威扣品牌发明了钩毛搭扣，但其专利已在40年前到期，使得全球竞争对手得以制造相同的材料，而消费者仍错误地将其统称为“velcro”。 (0:02) 该公司上一年度实现了5亿美元的营收，并花费了60余年树立品牌资产，以此说明其积极捍卫商标的合理性。 (0:02) 该宣传片还指出了其他面临类似商标侵蚀的知名品牌，敦促消费者使用“漂白剂”、“创可贴”和“直排轮滑”等通用词汇，而非被消音的品牌名称。 (1:22)

Reading summary

The legal team for the Velcro Brand Companies warns that widespread colloquial use of "velcro" as a generic descriptor threatens to legally invalidate its registered trademark, despite the business's commercial success. Patent Expiration and Trademark Vulnerability (0:02) Although the Velcro Brand Companies generated half a billion dollars in revenue in the preceding year and spent over six decades building brand equity, the business faces a legal vulnerability rooted in its own ubiquity. The company's original technology patent lapsed 40 years ago, allowing competitors worldwide to manufacture identical fastening materials. Because consumers routinely apply the proprietary name to all such fasteners—using it as a generic noun or verb, such as in "velcro shoes"—the company's attorneys state that trademark laws are breached and the registered trademark status faces cancellation through genericide. Hook-and-Loop Terminology and Industry Parallels (1:22) To preserve its intellectual property, the legal team insists that the public adopt the proper generic term, "hook and loop," designating the two physical components as a "hook" and a "loop." The attorneys frame their campaign in solidarity with other dominant brands whose cultural ubiquity has placed their proprietary names at risk. They highlight everyday generic alternatives that consumers should use instead of famous brand names, including using "bleach" rather than Clorox, adhesive "bandage" rather than Band-Aid, and "inline skating" rather than Rollerblading. The attorneys acknowledge that while colloquial brand names are more convenient for consumers to use, continued failure to distinguish the Velcro Brand from generic hook-and-loop fasteners will legally terminate the company's circled "R" trademark.

精炼阅读摘要

VELCRO® Brand法务团队指出，虽然该公司上一年度实现了5亿美元营收并拥有逾60年的品牌积累，但因其紧固件专利已失效40年，公众将“velcro”泛化为通用词汇的行为正严重危及其注册商标（®）的法律效力，因而呼吁公众改用通用术语“搭扣”（hook and loop）。 专利失效与商标退化危机 (0:02) VELCRO® Brand法务团队通过音乐短片指出，公司面临着因产品极度普及而引发的知识产权危机。虽然该公司发明了这种由“钩”和“环”组成的紧固材料，但其原始专利已于40年前失效，导致全球竞争对手均可合法生产结构相同的替代品。然而，公众习惯将所有此类搭扣统称为“velcro”，甚至将其作为通用名词或动词使用（例如称呼“velcro shoes”）。 律师团队表示，这种口语习惯直接违反了商标法律，可能导致其核心商标被注销并失去注册商标标记“®”，即发生“商标通用化”（genericide）。法务人员坦承这是一种年营收达5亿美元企业的“第一世界问题”，但强调如果放任公众习惯侵蚀其长达60多年构建的品牌资产，企业将面临丧失核心商标权的实质风险。 行业共性与规范用语的普及 (1:22) 法务团队将自身处境与遭遇类似流行反噬的知名品牌相提并论，指出当某个产品在文化中占据主导地位时，消费者极易用商标替代品类本身的通用名词。为演示正确的用语方式，视频列举了多个日常场景并对知名商标进行消音处理：例如清洗衣物时应使用通用词“漂白剂”（bleach）而非Clorox；包扎伤口时应使用“医用绷带/胶布”（bandage）而非Band-Aid；进行滑轮运动时应称为“直排轮滑”（inline skating）而非Rollerblade。 团队承认品牌名称往往更朗朗上口，但警告持续泛用会导致商标权失效。为此，他们反复强调该紧固件的物理构造一半是钩（hook）、另一半是环（loop），其标准技术名称应为“搭扣”（hook and loop），敦促消费者不要再将通用紧固件称为Velcro。 该活动阐明了消费习惯与商标法之间的根本冲突：即使企业拥有强大的财务业绩和长期的品牌历史，若公众持续用专有商标指代基础产品类别，其法律保护仍将面临彻底瓦解的可能。

Detailed notes — zh

## Background 该视频由 VELCRO® Brand 官方频道于 2017 年 9 月 25 日发布在 YouTube 平台上。视频简介说明，这是由 Velcro 公司的法务团队发起的一场正名行动，旨在纠正公众将“VELCRO®”商标误作为普通名词或动词（例如“velcro shoes”）的习惯，并恳请大众保护这一历经数十年打造的注册商标。 ## TL;DR 视频中，Velcro 公司的法务团队通过歌舞形式直面品牌所遭遇的严重“商标通用化（Genericide）”危机。尽管该紧固件的发明专利早在 40 年前就已经过期，但公众仍习惯性地将所有同类产品统称为“velcro”，这使他们面临丧失注册商标圈“R”（®）法律保护的巨大风险。法务人员详细科普了该产品的通用名称应为“搭扣（hook and loop）”，并借用漂白剂、创口贴及单排轮滑鞋等同样遭受通用化困扰的品牌案例，呼吁全网停止滥用品牌名，规范使用通用称谓。 ## Atmosphere & style 全片采用极具反差感的情景音乐短剧风格，将枯燥严肃的商标法条转化为自嘲与戏剧性兼备的幽默表演。身着正装的法务人员在镜头前从温和科普逐渐演变为近乎抓狂的绝望呐喊，甚至在片尾爆发出摇滚式的声嘶力竭。这种在承认自身“富贵病”困扰的同时又无比较真的自黑态度，让整场严肃的维权申明充满了魔性、荒诞而又令人过目难忘的喜剧张力。 ## Bulletin - [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY&t=2s) Velcro 公司的发明专利已失效 40 年，当前市场上同类紧固件激增，但公众普遍仍将其通称为“velcro”，导致品牌面临严重的商标通用化（Genericide）法律危机。 - [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY&t=2s) 官方严正呼吁公众纠正用词习惯，紧固件的正式通用名称为“搭扣（hook and loop）”，而 VELCRO® 仅可作为品牌名称使用，绝不能充当普通名词或动词。 - [01:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY&t=82s) 品牌通用化风险不仅局限于 Velcro，包括漂白剂（暗指 Clorox）、创口贴（暗指 Band-Aid）及单排轮滑（暗指 Rollerblade）等多个知名消费品牌均面临因公众习惯性滥用而丧失商标保护权的困境。 ## Key takeaways - [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY&t=2s) 虽然公众将所有毛茸倒钩紧固件习惯性称为“velcro”体现了极高的知名度，但这在法律层面构成了严重的商标通用化威胁。 - [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY&t=2s) Velcro 公司的核心发明专利早在 40 年前就已经过期，市场上存在大量竞品，公司已无法依据专利垄断该类产品生产。 - [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY&t=2s) 如果公众持续将“velcro”作为名词或动词使用（例如称作 velcro shoes），公司将彻底失去注册商标圆圈“R”（®）的法律保护。 - [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY&t=2s) 该物理紧固件的准确行业通用规范名称为“hook and loop（搭扣）”，分别对应一面钩面（hook）与一面毛圈面（loop）。 - [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY&t=2s) Velcro 品牌建设已超过 60 年且年营收达 5 亿美元，法务团队不惜以自嘲“富贵病”的幽默方式捍卫数十年积累的品牌资产。 - [01:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY&t=82s) 商标过度成功导致的通称化是跨行业的普遍困境，视频以此为其他遭遇同样危机的知名企业共同发声。 - [01:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY&t=82s) 法务团队列举了多个典型通称化案例，强调应使用 bleach 而非漂白水品牌名、bandage 而非创口贴品牌名、inline skating 而非轮滑鞋品牌名。 - [01:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY&t=82s) 虽然品牌名称读起来往往比通用产品名词更顺口，但日常滥用会从法律意义上实质性扼杀企业的注册商标。 - [01:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY&t=82s) 法务团队最终以激昂抓狂的口吻绝望呼吁，要求全网在日常对话中严格使用“hook and loop”指代该紧固件。 ## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY&t=2s) Velcro 公司的法律危机与“搭扣（Hook and Loop）”之辨 Velcro 公司（Velcro Brand Companies）的法务团队以一首幽默而严肃的音乐短剧开场，直面一个看似光鲜却令他们无比头疼的商业困境：作为一家极其成功的企业，无论人们走到哪里，只要看到那种毛茸茸、带倒钩的紧固件，脱口而出的第一句话就是“嘿！那是魔术贴（velcro）！”然而，尽管这项技术最初是由他们发明的，其核心专利早在 40 年前就已经失效过期。如今市面上不论是哪家厂商制造的同类产品，公众仍然习惯性地通通称之为“velcro”。在大众眼里，这种高度的知名度对公司而言是一件天大的好事，但站在法律团队的立场上，这反而带来了巨大的痛苦与危机。法务人员强调，这种将品牌名称用作普通名词或动词的行为，正在打破商标法的底线；如果公众继续把所有这类紧固件都统称为“velcro”，公司苦心经营的注册商标就会沦为通用名称，他们也将彻底失去那个象征注册商标的圆圈“R”（®）。 面对这一严峻的商标通称化威胁，法务团队郑重其事地向大众科普了该产品的真正通用名称——“搭扣（hook and loop）”。他们一边展示产品结构，一边指出其中一面是钩面（hook），另一面是毛圈面（loop）。虽然团队十分清楚这种请求听起来甚至有些荒谬，完全属于典型的“富贵病/第一世界问题（first-world situation）”——他们毫不避讳地承认公司去年赚了整整 5 亿美元，员工休假甚至能飞去特克斯和凯科斯群岛（Turks and Caicos）度假——但他们依然在镜头前近乎哀求地呼吁大家：他们花了 60 多年时间建立起来的品牌，绝不能因为大家随口乱叫而毁于一旦。如果在日常生活中继续把装有搭扣的鞋子叫做“魔术贴鞋（velcro shoes）”，Velcro 这一历史悠久的商标最终就会被彻底扼杀。 法务团队在歌词中尖锐且直接地指出了商标可能丧失的法律风险，并唱道：“But if you keep calling these 'velcro' shoes, our trademark will get killed.” ```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: 商标通用化危机与正名流程 accDescr: 展示公众习惯性称呼导致的商标风险以及公司倡导的规范用语。 subgraph Problem["公众误区与法律风险"] A["公众见到带钩毛面紧固件"] --> B["误称所有产品为 'Velcro'"] B --> C["专利已于 40 年前失效，竞品涌现"] C --> D["商标通用化（Genericide）风险"] D --> E["丧失注册商标圈R（®）权利"] end subgraph Solution["官方正名规范"] F["产品结构：一边是 Hook，一边是 Loop"] F --> G["通用规范名称：Hook and loop（搭扣）"] G --> H["正确用法：VELCRO® Brand 仅作为品牌名称"] end ``` - 专利状态：Velcro 公司的核心发明专利已在 40 年前失效。 - 财务与历史背景：公司上一年营收达 5 亿美元，品牌创立与建设历程已超过 60 年。 - 法律核心纠纷：公众若继续将“velcro”作为名词或动词（例如 velcro shoes、velcro wallet），将违反商标法，导致 VELCRO® 丧失法律保护地位。 - 规范名称定义：该物理紧固件的正式通用术语为“hook and loop”（挂钩与毛圈 / 搭扣），一面为 hook，另一面为 loop。 --- ### [01:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY&t=82s) 为所有受通称化困扰的品牌发声与最后的恳求 在阐明自身立场的转折点上，法务团队把视角拓宽到了整个商业界。他们明确表示，发起这场呼吁不仅仅是为了 Velcro 自身，更是为了所有那些因为产品太成功、太受欢迎，以至于品牌名称被公众错误滥用为通用词汇的知名品牌。法务人员举出了一连串由于过度知名而惨遭通称化的日常典型例子：如果你需要漂白洗净袜子上的污渍，请使用漂白剂（bleach），而不是直接喊出某知名漂白水品牌（消音处理，暗示 Clorox）；如果身上磕碰受伤留了血，贴在伤口上的应该被称为创口贴/绷带（bandage），而不是某创口贴品牌名称（消音处理，暗示 Band-Aid）；如果你正与约会对象一起进行滑轮健身，这项运动的正确名称是单排轮滑（inline skating），而不是某个轮滑鞋品牌（消音处理，暗示 Rollerblade）。 法务团队幽默地承认，那些被哔声屏蔽掉的知名品牌词汇念起来确实比冗长拗口的通用名称更顺口、更有趣，但现实是残酷的——如果大家图一时方便继续不分场合地乱叫，所有这些凝聚无数心血的商标都将从法律意义上消失。在视频的尾声，全体法务成员再次集体爆发，声嘶力竭地发出最后的绝望呼喊，重复申明这件物品的本名就叫“搭扣（hook and loop）”：一边是钩，一边是毛，无论大众如何固执地想要脱口而出叫它“velcro”，他们都要在镜头前拼尽全力恳求大家——这真他妈的（bleep）叫“搭扣（hook and loop）”。 正如法务人员在列举完竞品通称化实例后对公众发出的严正警告，他们直言：“I know that bleeped stuff is more fun to say, but if you keep doing it our trademarks go away.” - 遭通称化品牌案例对比： - 漂白袜子的用品规范名称为“bleach（漂白剂）”，而非特定漂白水品牌名。 - 包扎伤口的用品规范名称为“bandage（绷带/创口贴）”，而非特定医用创口贴品牌名。 - 双排/单排轮滑运动的规范名称为“inline skating（单排轮滑）”，而非特定轮滑品牌名。 - 视频结语诉求：全片在激昂又略带抓狂的重金属风格呐喊中结束，法务团队再次以“This is (bleep)-ing 'hook and loop'”向全网强化该产品的正确称谓。 ## Notable quotes > [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY&t=2s) But if you keep calling these 'velcro' shoes, our trademark will get killed. — Velcro 公司的法务团队 ## Mentioned Velcro 公司 (Velcro Brand Companies), VELCRO®, Hook and loop (搭扣), 特克斯和凯科斯群岛 (Turks and Caicos), Clorox, Band-Aid, Rollerblade ## Video description Our Velcro Brand Companies legal team decided to clear a few things up about using the VELCRO® trademark correctly – because they’re lawyers and that’s what they do. When you use “velcro” as a noun or a verb (e.g., velcro shoes), you diminish the importance of our brand and our lawyers lose their *insert fastening sound.* So please, do not say “velcro shoes” (or “velcro wallet” or “velcro gloves”) - we repeat “velcro” is not a noun or a verb. VELCRO® is our brand. #dontsayvelcro Watch our next video about YOUR feedback: https://youtu.be/ZLWMQLMiTPk Learn more at http://www.velcro.com See the making of this video and more behind-the-scenes footage: https://youtu.be/oP-fZdFfOGE. [Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRi8LptvFZY)

Source quotes

[0:02] Velcro 公司的法务团队: But if you keep calling these 'velcro' shoes, our trademark will get killed.

Original transcript

[0:02] We're a company that's so successful [0:04] that everywhere you go, [0:07] you see this scratchy, hairy fastener [0:10] and you say, "Hey! That's velcro!" [0:13] But even though we invented this stuff, [0:16] our patent lapsed 40 years ago. [0:18] Now no matter who else makes it, [0:21] you still want to call it 'velcro.' [0:24] You think it's awesome for us, we're famous [0:27] but we're lawyers and it's causing us grief. [0:30] 'Cause there are trademark laws being broken, [0:32] it's all here in this short legal brief. [0:36] And we know that this is confusing, [0:38] because Velcro Brand is who we are. [0:43] But if you call it call 'velcro'... [0:44] we're gonna lose that circled 'R'. [0:47] This is called 'hook and loop,' [0:48] This part's a hook, this part's a loop. [0:51] You call it 'velcro,' but we're begging you, [0:54] This is (bleep)-ing 'hook and loop.' [0:57] We know this seems ridiculous, [0:59] this is a first-world situation. [1:02] And we made half of a billion last year, [1:05] I went to Turks on my last vacation. [1:08] And we're asking you not to say a name, [1:10] we took 60 plus years to build. [1:14] But if you keep calling these 'velcro' shoes, [1:17] our trademark will get killed. [1:20] (Yeeeeaaaahhhhh) [1:22] We aren't just doing this for us, [1:24] we're doing it for all the successful brands that got so popular [1:27] people started using the brand names the wrong way. [1:30] So, please remember... [1:32] If you need something to clean up your socks, [1:35] do it with bleach and not with (bleep.) [1:38] If you have blood from a boo-boo you made, [1:41] this is a bandage and not a (bleep.) [1:43] If you're exercising with someone you're dating, [1:46] it's inline skating and not (bleep.) [1:49] I know that bleeped stuff is more fun to say, [1:52] but if you keep doing it our trademarks go away. [1:56] This is called 'hook and loop,' [1:58] this part's a hook, this part's a loop. [2:00] You call it 'velcro' but we're begging you, [2:03] this is (bleep)-ing 'hook and loop.'