Band-Aid

Band-Aid is a brand of adhesive bandages distributed by the American pharmaceutical and medical-devices company Johnson & Johnson. Invented in 1920, the brand has become a generic term for adhesive bandages in the United States, Canada, and Australia.

This article is about one brand of adhesive bandage. For the musical ensemble, see Band Aid (band). For other uses, see Band Aid.
Band-Aid

Product typeAdhesive bandage/dressing
OwnerJohnson & Johnson
CountryU.S.
IntroducedJune 1920 (invention)
MarketsWorldwide
Tagline"I am stuck on Band-Aid (brand) 'cause Band-Aid's stuck on me!"
Websitewww.band-aid.com
A close up of an open Band-Aid

History

The Band-Aid was invented in 1920 by a Johnson & Johnson employee, Earle Dickson in Highland Park, New Jersey[1] for his wife Josephine, who frequently cut and burned herself while cooking.[2] The prototype allowed her to dress her wounds without assistance. Dickson passed the idea on to his employer, which went on to produce and market the product as the Band-Aid. Dickson had a successful career at Johnson & Johnson, rising to vice president before his retirement in 1957. Perhaps a curiosity, the word "Band" in German means tape.

The original Band-Aids were handmade and not very popular. By 1924, Johnson & Johnson introduced machine-made Band-Aids and began the sale of sterilized Band-Aids in 1939.[3]

In 1951, the first decorative Band-Aids were introduced. They continue to be a commercial success, with such themes as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Oliver & Company, Superman, Spider-Man, Rocket Power, Rugrats, smiley faces, Barbie, Dora the Explorer, Batman and Duck Dynasty.

In World War II, millions were shipped overseas, helping popularize the product. Since then, Johnson & Johnson currently has estimated a sale of over 100 billion Band-Aids worldwide.[4]

Trademark status

Band-Aid has, over time, become a well-known example of a genericized trademark in the United States, but Johnson & Johnson has registered Band-Aid as a trademark on the Principal Register of the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the registration is valid and legal.[5] Johnson & Johnson continues to defend the Band-Aid trademark against it being genericized.[6]

To protect the name, their trademark, Johnson & Johnson always refers to its products as "BAND-AID® Brand Adhesive Bandages", not just "Band-Aid".

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See also
  • Elastoplast, a comparable European brand and genericized trademark

References
  1. "Historical timeline". hphistory.org. Retrieved 2018-06-02.
  2. "BAND-AID® Brand Heritage". Johnson & Johnson. April 2015. Archived from the original on June 15, 2013. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  3. "The History of the Band-Aid". Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  4. "The Story of the Black Band-Aid". 2013-06-06. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  5. "Trademark Status & Document Retrieval: BAND-AID". USPTO. May 15, 2012. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  6. "Practical Tips on Avoiding Genericide". www.inta.org.
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