Common Brand Names - To Cap or Not to Cap

[Mary Ann Taylor]

So, I don't know whether this is a concern for other reporters, or if I'm just being way too nit-picky.
But brand names that have become too commonplace as to refer to other off-brands as well, should we cap those or not?
Examples:
UGGs or just uggs
Kleenex or kleenex
Band-aid or band-aid
I'm inclined to only cap when referring to the actual company, but would appreciate others opinions.
Also, if you have any other examples that would be cool too for building my dictionary :)

[Brenda Rogers]

eBay for sure. It's the way the company spells its name.

I don't use the trademark symbol. For those who convert their transcripts to ASCII, that would get stripped out anyway, wouldn't it?

I cap Kleenex and Band-Aid even if used generically. They are using the brand name. Now, where I stray from that is sheetrock, dumpster, laundromat, and realtor. I know Realtors just have hissy fits over that, but people use the word for real estate agents. If someone says, "I am a Realtor," they get the cap. "I'm looking for a realtor" doesn't because it's just completely generic.

I know that sounds like it's flying in the face of Kleenex and Band-Aid, but people *do* know that those are brand names. I would say a very small percentage of the population know that Realtor is a trademark.

[Clay Frazier]

Ebay
or
eBay

Do you go against the company or the English language?

[Nina Colavolpe-Leone]

After reading what Quyen posted above, I just realized you were probably referring to the brand name when it is actually spoken in a trial or deposition (DUH!). Obviously, you can't use a different word! I like her use of the capitalized trademark with the accompanying symbol, actually; I don't think it's a sign of being nerdy, I think it's a sign of being respectful of the company trademark! I would do the same thing.

[Quyen]

I cap all trademarks, unless it is listed in the dictionary uncapped also. Merriam Webster is the California State Board's and my dictionary of choice. For example, "Xerox" is capped in MW for the trademark and "xerox" as a verb. Just to show what a nerd I am, I type the trademark/brand into my browser, and if any results show up with the trademark symbol, I will write it as such: Kleenex®. :)

[Nina Colavolpe-Leone]

Hi, Mary Ann...

I myself would probably stay away from using the brand name unless I was referring to the company itself, and use a generic term for the actual product, e.g., "boots" for the UGGs, "tissues" for Kleenex, "bandage" for Band-Aid. Otherwise, you have the problem of determining how long it takes for a brand name to become commonplace enough to replace the generic word. "Kleenex" has been around a long time, but UGGs are too new (in my opinion) to replace "boots".

Just my opinion; hope others comment, as well!