TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: Proper noun use -Reply From:Judith Leetham <JUDITHL -at- WORDPERFECT -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 24 Mar 1995 11:00:13 -0700
On the subject of proper nouns,
Grammatically the comments that have been made on this topic seem to
be correct. The issue that has been overlooked is the actual reason for
using a brand name as a descriptive adjective instead of as a noun
which is trademark protection. By using the phase "X Y Z will do this
and this," you are potentially creating a situation where X Y Z isn't
identified as one of many products that will do this and this, but instead X
Y Z becomes this and this. The famous instances where this has
happened are the uses of brand names such as "Kleenex" or "Xerox"
as nouns instead of as descriptors. There have been long, involved
court cases debating whether Kleenex is tissue, or if Kleenes is a brand
of tissue. Likewise with Xerox, and there are others that don't come to
mind.
We can acknowledge trademarks in a document, but never, never leave
out the product family in marketing literature.
