When I was just out of diapers and working as a young newspaper reporter, we learned early on that certain commercial names likely would trigger a curious chain of events. For example, if a reporter used the term Kleenex in an article, it was quite possible the newspaper soon would receive a letter from a law firm representing the manufacturers of Kleenex. The lawyers gently would remind all that KIeenex was a registered trademark and that the generic term for their product should be used, i.e. “facial tissue.” Another sensitive trigger was Kitty Litter, or even the word “litter,” which quickly would draw the legal suggestion of “cat-box filler.” Only the greenest cub reporter truly was cowed by such missives. The lawyers were doing what they were paid to do: protect the client’s trademark. They had to produce a paper trail proving they were diligent in doing so. Otherwise, if usage were commonly adapted without protest, the trademark might cease to exist as a legal property, as Frigidaire became the accepted word for “refrigerator” to generations. Or that was the idea. I don’t know if anyone even does this anymore. I doubt it.