What is it called when an object's common name is the same as its most famous brand name?

Here are a few examples of what I mean:





Ink correcting fluids being known as 'Tipex'


Some people calling any vacuum cleaner a 'Hoover'


Or even sometimes when people call any mp3 player an 'iPod'.


There are many more examples - I just can't think of them right now :P





I'm pretty sure that there is a technical term for this phenomenon. Anyone know what it is?

What is it called when an object's common name is the same as its most famous brand name?
Yes, they are words that were formerly trademarked, but have become synonymous with the item itself.





"Hoover" only works in the UK, but some other examples are - Q-Tip, escalator, Band-Aid, Kleenex, thermos, zipper, cellophane and Xerox.





From Wikipedia:


A genericized trademark (also known as a generic trademark, proprietary eponym) is a trademark or brand name that has become the colloquial or generic description for (or synonymous with) a general class of product or service, rather than the specific meaning intended by the trademark's holder.
Reply:This can be called a few different things:





Generized Trademark


Generic Tradermark


Proprietary Eponym





:-)