Comment can't you? (Score 1) 856
Paul Abate, the OED editor, says verbs no know owner. Surely he doesn't mean that any trademark is fair game, as long as you attach "-ing" to the end. In that case, what's to stop a "Whopper up at Wendy's" ad campaign? And when the ads go negative? "Last night, my roommate drank so much he Big Mac'ed all over the sidewalk."
But, you say, Mr. McFedries was simply documenting the word's use by others, such as the "West Wing." That may get him off the hook, but it still leaves trademarks wide open: An advertiser can buy product placements, so why couldn't it buy a verbing?
But, you say, Mr. McFedries was simply documenting the word's use by others, such as the "West Wing." That may get him off the hook, but it still leaves trademarks wide open: An advertiser can buy product placements, so why couldn't it buy a verbing?
