Once upon a time, if you needed a document duplicated, you’d ask someone to “photocopy it.” But somewhere along the way, a different phrase took over: “Just Xerox it.” How did Xerox, a company name, become shorthand for making copies? Let’s rewind the tape and take a closer look.
It All Started With Dry Magic: The Birth of Xerography
In 1938, an inventor named Chester Carlson developed a new process called electrophotography, which was later renamed xerography—a term derived from the Greek words xeros (dry) and graphos (writing). This dry-toner method was a major shift from the traditional wet-copying techniques of the time, offering a faster and cleaner solution.
In the post-war era, a small company called the Haloid Company—originally a photographic paper business—saw potential in Carlson’s invention. By 1947, they acquired commercial rights to the xerographic process and eventually rebranded to Haloid Xerox in 1958. In 1961, the company dropped the “Haloid” and officially became Xerox Corporation.
The Xerox 914: A Revolution in the Office
Xerox’s turning point came in 1959 with the introduction of the Xerox 914—the world’s first plain-paper photocopier. No more smudgy chemical papers. No more complicated operations. The Xerox 914 was fast, easy to use, and wildly popular.
So popular, in fact, that by 1965, Xerox’s annual revenue had skyrocketed to over $500 million. A cheeky ad campaign even featured monkeys using the copier, reinforcing just how simple it was to operate.
Because Xerox held such a commanding lead in the copier market throughout the ’60s and ’70s, the brand name started creeping into everyday language. Offices everywhere began using “Xerox” as both a noun (“make a xerox”) and a verb (“xerox this page”).
Brand or Verb? The Problem with Popularity
As flattering as it might sound, becoming a generic term can be risky. This linguistic phenomenon is called genericization or genericide—when a brand name becomes so common that it’s no longer associated with the original company. Think of words like “escalator” or “thermos,” both of which were once trademarked.
Xerox was facing this exact issue.
The concern was that if everyone used “Xerox” to mean “photocopy,” the company could lose its legal trademark protections. Under U.S. trademark law, a brand name must specifically identify the source of a product. If it becomes generic, it’s fair game for competitors.
Fighting to Save the Xerox Name
To fight back, Xerox launched several public campaigns and legal actions urging people to stop using “Xerox” as a verb or generic noun. They famously ran ads proclaiming:
“You cannot ‘xerox’ a document, but you can copy it on a Xerox® brand copying machine.”
– Xerox Trademark Defense Campaign
Xerox’s legal team also reached out to journalists, advertisers, and publishers, correcting improper use of the name. The goal? To preserve Xerox as a brand identifier, not a universal term for copying.
Despite these efforts, public usage was hard to control. As noted in the Oxford English Dictionary, “xerox” is still listed as a verb meaning to photocopy—proof of how deeply the brand embedded itself into the language.
“Xerox Shops” Everywhere – Especially in India
While Xerox fought tooth and nail to protect its trademark in the West, the brand name took on an entirely new life in countries like India. To this day, it’s common to hear someone say, “Go get a Xerox of your passport,” even if the machine used isn’t a Xerox at all.
And in a 2012 legal ruling, Indian authorities affirmed that ‘Xerox’ was not a generic term—allowing the company to maintain its trademark despite its widespread use.
FAQs: Quick Answers About Xerox as a Term
Q: Is it legally wrong to say “xerox” when you mean photocopy?
Not exactly. It’s more about brand protection. Xerox encourages you to say “copy” unless you’re using one of their machines.
Q: What is xerography, anyway?
Xerography is a dry copying process invented in 1938 by Chester Carlson, which became the basis for Xerox’s copiers.
Q: Can brands really lose their trademarks if they become too common?
Absolutely. It’s happened to other brands like aspirin, yo-yo, and cellophane.
Parting Thoughts
The next time you casually say, “Can you xerox this?”—you’re actually echoing a rich legacy of invention, branding, and a cautionary tale of too much success. Xerox didn’t just change the way we copy documents; it changed the way we talk about it.
Whether or not you’re using an actual Xerox machine, that single word carries the weight of technological innovation and marketing history.
