generic trademark

A generic trademark refers to a brand name that has become so common that it's used to describe a general class of products rather than a specific company's offering. For example, "escalator" originally was a brand name but now refers to any moving staircase. When a trademark loses its uniqueness and is widely used by the public to describe a whole category, it becomes generic. This can lead to the loss of trademark protection, meaning the original brand can no longer claim exclusive rights to that term.