We know. You don't mean to be a serial verber, but we decided to clear a few things up about using the VELCRO® trademark correctly – because we're lawyers and that's what we do. When you use "velcro" as a noun or a verb (e.g., velcro shoes), you diminish the importance of our brand and us lawyers would lose our
*insert unfastening sound.*
100% and it's easier to follow than most telenovelas. The VELCRO mark is always in all caps followed by "®," the word "Brand," and then the functional terms like "hook and loop," "fasteners," and "closures." Voila.
Let's use it in a sentence:
Our products feature VELCRO® Brand fasteners.
No. Never. Please don’t. VELCRO® Brand is not a verb, a noun, or a stand-alone word. It should only be used like “VELCRO® Brand products” or referring to a specific product such as “VELCRO® Brand straps.” We repeat, do not ever say “velcro shoes” (or “velcro wallet” or “velcro gloves”). Ever.
You can identify any non-VELCRO® Brand products by their common terms, including “self fasteners,” “hook and loop,” “closures,” etc. We get it, hook and loop isn’t in our everyday vocabulary, but calling it velcro just wouldn’t be true.
To make it a little easier:
Incorrect: He helped his son velcro his shoes.
Correct: He helped his son fasten his shoes.
Incorrect: I just bought some velcro shoes!
Correct: I just bought some self-fastening shoes!
Us lawyers have to protect our people. Using the VELCRO® trademark properly allows us to protect the integrity of the VELCRO® Brand and our trademark rights, and protect consumers from purchasing products incorrectly identified as VELCRO® Brand products. It’s, you know, the right thing to do.
Our company is the brainchild of Swiss engineer and inventor of the world’s first hook-and-loop fastener, George de Mestral. He blended the French words “velour” (velvet) and “crochet” (hook) to create the name of the brand – and fun fact, got a patent for hook and loop in 1955 and the first trademark registration for the VELCRO® mark in 1956. Now we own almost 300 trademark registrations for the VELCRO® mark worldwide.
Our website has everything you need to know about our VELCRO® Brand products. Or reach out to us directly at dontsayvelcro@velcro.com We would be thrilled to talk to you in more detail about, trademark laws, patent laws, and any law, really.
It's not about doing it for us, it's about doing the right thing. Successful brands around the world need your support to help protect trademark guidelines. Pledge to end the era of broken trademark laws.
#DONTSAYVELCRO
Hey, we get it. It's not an easy topic to explain. Answer a few short questions and see if you are picking up the legal knowledge we are laying down.
