ASPIRIN
Aspirin was originally a registered trademark of Bayer AG, first used in 1899. In the UK, the mark was seized as enemy property during World War I under the Treaty of Versailles and subsequently lost its trademark protection, becoming a generic term.
UK IPO Record
- Application Number
- UK00002183060
- Word Mark
- ASPIRIN
- Status
- Registered
- Applied
- 27 November 1998
- Registered
- 28 May 1999
- Next Renewal
- 27 November 2028
- Owner
- Simon Carter Limited
- Nice Classes
- Class 14
Brand History & Trademark Analysis
Aspirin was originally a registered trademark of Bayer AG, first used in 1899. In the UK, the mark was seized as enemy property during World War I under the Treaty of Versailles and subsequently lost its trademark protection, becoming a generic term. It is one of the most cited examples in trademark law of genericide — where a brand name becomes the common word for the product itself.
On a Class 5 page, it adds real legal and historical weight.
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Historical Background
Bayer registered aspirin as a trademark on 6 March 1899. The UK government voided Bayer's trademark on 5 February 1915 as part of enemy property seizures during the First World War, rendering aspirin a generic term in the United Kingdom. The loss of trademark protection in Britain, the United States and France represents one of the most consequential pharmaceutical trademark forfeitures in history.