Asprin Becomes “Generic” Trademark
Bayer AG had trademarked its acetylsalicylic acid as “Aspirin” originally. The name was derived from combining “acetyl” and “Spirsaure”, the German name for salicylic acid. In 1917, the US Govt. confiscated most of Bayer USA’s assets in the wake of the first world war, including it’s IP portfolio. Aspirin had hence become a generic term.