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Two Puzzlers plus Trademark Law: Google Magic

Puzzled Cowgirl

One of the problems associated with increasing a product’s brand name is the
phenomenon known as “genericization.” The once novel brand name or trademark
becomes a verb or noun rather than an adjective. For instance, Kleenex is
associated more with the thing, facial tissue, than a type of facial tissue.

In the United States, aspirin was once a trademark but is now the generic
name for the pain-reliever acetylsalicylic acid. Bayer has protected the
trademark in other countries such as Canada.

Ironically, Bayer also owned the trademark for Heroin but allowed their
registration to lapse (at least in the United States) in 1910. (It was derived
by the German pharmaceutical giant from the word “Heroic” to describe this new
drug with stronger pain-killing powers than morophene.

In deference to trademark law, unless the diamorphine hydrochloride salt we
are buying from our dealers has the Bayer label on it, we will not refer to it
as “HEROIN.” Note, however, in the case of HEROIN, the loss of trademark was
likely due to the post World War I sanctions placed on the German company for
its development of the new and deadly mustard gas.

It’s just a theory, HEROIN may have become generic — we note most junkies
are sloppy about their use of terms and will tend to use what ever word pops
into their shuttering, sweaty skull when they need a fix. Sure, we wish they’d
say, “Hey, man, can you hook me up with diamorphine hydrochloride or even
diamorphine?”

So when one writes “Google Magic Tricks” there is a danger the reader will
understand the phrase to be an instruction to the reader. As if the writer is
ordering the reader to perform an action, “Google,” on the two words “Magic
Trick.”

So these are two tricks we found using the Google website. We are not using
the word GOOGLE to describe an action.

The first effect gives you magic powers to cause letters within the Google logo to
vanish. It is a simple ruse but still kind of neat.

The second effect uses an add-on program called GreaseMonkey. You’ll have to
download this program to perform the mentalism effect but it is well worth the
trouble. We found GreaseMonkey to be benign and that it behaves very well with
our other programs. We know it will help to modify any web page through Firefox
but we haven’t tried it with Opera or Microsoft Internet Explorer.

He describes the effect as the following:

    It is a slow morning in the office on April 1st.

    You: Hey Beatrice:, check this out! Google added this new
    feature!
    Beatrice:: I already saw that video/map thing.
    Booooring!
    You: No, this is new! They added this ESP thing! It’s
    uncanny and a little scary!
    Beatrice:: Yeah right.
    You: No,
    seriously! What’s your favorite animal?
    Beatrice:: A lady
    bug.
    You: Okay. Think really hard about a lady bug. Look at the
    computer and try to transmit your thoughts into…

    Puzzled Cowgirl

    One of the problems associated with increasing a product’s brand name is the
    phenomenon known as “genericization.” The once novel brand name or trademark
    becomes a verb or noun rather than an adjective. For instance, Kleenex is
    associated more with the thing, facial tissue, than a type of facial tissue.

    In the United States, aspirin was once a trademark but is now the generic
    name for the pain-reliever acetylsalicylic acid. Bayer has protected the
    trademark in other countries such as Canada.

    Ironically, Bayer also owned the trademark for Heroin but allowed their
    registration to lapse (at least in the United States) in 1910. (It was derived
    by the German pharmaceutical giant from the word “Heroic” to describe this new
    drug with stronger pain-killing powers than morophene.

    In deference to trademark law, unless the diamorphine hydrochloride salt we
    are buying from our dealers has the Bayer label on it, we will not refer to it
    as “HEROIN.” Note, however, in the case of HEROIN, the loss of trademark was
    likely due to the post World War I sanctions placed on the German company for
    its development of the new and deadly mustard gas.

    It’s just a theory, HEROIN may have become generic — we note most junkies
    are sloppy about their use of terms and will tend to use what ever word pops
    into their shuttering, sweaty skull when they need a fix. Sure, we wish they’d
    say, “Hey, man, can you hook me up with diamorphine hydrochloride or even
    diamorphine?”

    So when one writes “Google Magic Tricks” there is a danger the reader will
    understand the phrase to be an instruction to the reader. As if the writer is
    ordering the reader to perform an action, “Google,” on the two words “Magic
    Trick.”

    So these are two tricks we found using the Google website. We are not using
    the word GOOGLE to describe an action.

    The first effect gives you magic powers to cause letters within the Google logo to
    vanish    . It is a simple ruse but still kind of neat.

    The second effect uses an add-on program called GreaseMonkey. You’ll have to
    download this program to perform the mentalism effect but it is well worth the
    trouble. We found GreaseMonkey to be benign and that it behaves very well with
    our other programs. We know it will help to modify any web page through Firefox
    but we haven’t tried it with Opera or Microsoft Internet Explorer.

    He describes the effect as the following:

      It is a slow morning in the office on April 1st.

      You: Hey Beatrice:, check this out! Google added this new
      feature!
      Beatrice:: I already saw that video/map thing.
      Booooring!
      You: No, this is new! They added this ESP thing! It’s
      uncanny and a little scary!
      Beatrice:: Yeah right.
      You: No,
      seriously! What’s your favorite animal?
      Beatrice:: A lady
      bug.
      You: Okay. Think really hard about a lady bug. Look at the
      computer and try to transmit your thoughts into it.
      Beatrice::
      Okay…

      You: You google the following search phrase:

      “What is it Beatrice thinking?”

      You press the search
      button and voila! A bunch of search results matching “lady bug!”.

      Beatrice:: Wow! That’s totally awesome! Will you father my child?

      You: Why certainly!
      Beatrice:: Just Kidding – April
      Fool!

    Visit Jim Bumgardner’s very cool website for the astounding effect he calls April
    Foogle    .

    We think this is a very clever use of ordinary objects familiar to all to do
    something almost within the realm of possibility.

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