Generic Terms: Thermos

Thermos LLC was originally established in Germany in 1904 and it manufactured insulated food and beverage containers among other consumer products. The name Thermos is derived from the Greek word “Therme” meaning Heat.

Thermos subsequently sold the rights to three other companies in 1907 who sold it around the world and lead to the popularity of the brand. The American Thermos Bottle Company perhaps has to be credited the most as it started using Thermos as synonymous to flasks in 1910 and spread the usage around all of the US. It was like free advertising. However, their marketing genius backfired when other companies started manufacturing their own Thermos Bottles and publishers started adding the word in Dictionaries.

In 1958, the Aladdin Industries released its own line of Thermos Bottles, which the American Thermos vehemently opposed. However, in 1963, the term was declared generic in the US largely due to Thermos’s own publicization and lack of diligence in defending the trademark. While India sees Thermos as a generic term now, it is still a registered mark in some countries.