Adobe tells how you may use the term "Photoshop"

[Brother Shatterstone]

IYKWIMAITYD

Huh?

 

[ergeheilalt]

Huh?

IYKWIMAITYD: If You Know What I Mean And I Think You Do

I confess - I googled it. But that is my theory to life - "When in doubt - Google". Speaking of which, google has entered the american lexicon as a means or type of search.

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

I confess - I googled it.

I never would have thought of doing that... *LOL* Thanks.

 

[Heretic Apostate]

The "IYKWIM..." thing is well known by me because it tends to be Hong's middle name.

Oops. I just invoked the name of Hong...

 

[Darrin Drader]

CORRECT: The image was enhanced with Adobe® Photoshop® Elements software. INCORRECT: The image was photoshopped. INCORRECT: The image was Photoshopped. INCORRECT: The image was Adobe® Photoshopped.

Don't they mean photochopped?!?!?!

 

[BrooklynKnight]

NEW Adobe Photochop!

It photochopps and dices and slices a thousand juiliann fries!

 

[Jonny Nexus]

So what's the rule about this and trademarks? I was under the impression that under such circumstances, a company could lose its trademark, and that it had happened numerous times with common product "types" which were once product trademarks but are now the generic term for that type of product.

"Corn Flakes" was once a trademarked term, but I believe the company marketted it in such a flawed way that they screwed up their advertising.

Basically, in a situation like that, where you are saying that "Corn Flakes" is a name, not a phrase, your advertising must reinforce that.

So if your advert says: "Start your day with Corn Flakes breakfast cerial!" - that's okay.

But if you simply say: "Start your day with Corn Flakes!" - then you've screwed up, because you're conceding the point that Corn Flakes is a phrase not a name. (Because if it wasn't, people would be scratching their head and wondering what Corn Flakes are: a cerial, a loaf, a hippy shower gel and moisteriser)?

If that doesn't quite make sense, imagine I invented a cerial bar that I called Joost.

If I did an advert saying: "Start your day with a Joost cerial bar!" - you'd understand exactly what I was saying.

But if I said: "Start your day with a Joost!" - you'd be pretty baffled, because you'd have no idea what the hell a "Joost" is. That's the difference between a name and a word, and even when your name has effectively become a word, your advertising must pretend that it's still a name, and be written accordingly.

The one exception to this rule (it's actually written into the law) is names of cars. Ford are allowed to market Mondaos without constantly having to remind you that a "Mondao" is a car.

But woe betide Filofax is they did a Filofax advert that didn't mention that a Filofax is a personal organiser...

 

[Maldur]

Related (ok, only sideways )
There is a guy called "Mike Rowe" that has an IT-company named "soft"

 

[Allanon]

IYKWIMAITYD: If You Know What I Mean And I Think You Do

I confess - I googled it. But that is my theory to life - "When in doubt - Google". Speaking of which, google has entered the american lexicon as a means or type of search.

Same here, though I found more than I set out for.

From Internet Acronyms

IMHO In My Holy Opinion IMHO In My Honest Opinion IMHO In My Humble Opinion
And here I was thinking it just meant In My Humble Opinion

 

[Gez]

INCORRECT: That image was photoshopped.
CORRECT: Dat pic was photoshoXXored, d00d!

Seriously, getting people on the Internet to use "enhanced by Adobe©®™ Photoshop©®™ Elements©®™ Software©®™" rather than "photoshopped" ? It's like asking a river to flow upward.

At best, they could ask people to say "modified with Photoshop" rather than "photoshopped", and even that would be a hard battle.