Protecting your brand is important. Some would argue it is one of the most important tasks you’ll have as a company. And if your brand becomes a household name like Velcro, it becomes even more critical.

Why, you ask? The biggest issue comes when a brand name becomes so generic that it loses its trademark because of it. Some brands have fought for and lost trademark rights because their names became synonymous with an entire product category. Obviously that’s the worst thing that could happen. But it is a real problem and one that Velcro takes very seriously, or at the very least, pokes fun at their lawyers who take it seriously.

While we could go on and on about the lessons of proper branding and how it can affect trademarking, we’ll leave you with this simple reminder from Velcro. Never use it as a noun and never use it as a verb. Put simply, #dontsayvelcro at all.