Ah, this blissful Corner. Ask a question, have it answered. From a reader:
Actually, you can trademark almost anything, including common words. It is not, however, the same thing as a copyright or a patent. They create more absolute rights than a trademark. Trademarks can be anything from weak, limited only to their use for the same product, to strong, applying to use for almost any product. These things depend on the length of your usage of the mark and how well known it is. The more descriptive the mark, the weaker it is. Barnie’s could not use it for a twenty ounce coffee but Budweiser might be able to use it for a twenty ounce can of beer. Certainly anybody not using it in a beverage business could use it. Bell labs uses it for an archival server, for instance.
I feel calmer now. What about the Fair Missus, Jonah? Does this abate her wrath?