Xerox

:For xerox as a verb, check the Trademark issues section.

Trademark issues

The success of the Xerox brand has led to the terms "a xerox", "to xerox", "xeroxed", and "xeroxing" being used synonymously for the product/act of photocopying. Though common, the company does not condone such uses of its trademark, and is particularly concerned about the ongoing use of Xerox as a verb as this places the trademark in danger of being declared a generic word by the courts. The company is engaged in an ongoing campaign to convince the public that Xerox should not be used as a verb. To this end, the company has written to publications that have used Xerox as a verb, and has also purchased print advertisements declaring that "you cannot 'xerox' a document, but you can copy it on" a photocopier, particularly "a Xerox Brand copying machine." The AP Stylebook respects trademarks. Xerox Corporation continues to protect its trademark diligently in most if not all trademark categories. Despite their efforts, many dictionaries continue to mention the use of "xerox" as a verb. These include the Oxford English Dictionary, generally regarded as the definitive reference on the English language.

Related Topics:
Verb - Generic word - Oxford English Dictionary - English language

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