What's it called when a brand name becomes a verb (i.e. google)?

[Ratboy Genius]

ALSO, what is it called when one brand becomes the vernacular term for everything of its type? For example, I tend to call all bandages "bandaids" and all gelatin "Jello" even though I KNOW those are just brands. Also all hand sanitizer I call "germ-x". Please tell me if you can think of any more. I want to know the name and cause of this phenomenon.

 

[Freshly Baked Socks]

Genericization.

Ex: xerox.

Official Position:
Xerox Corporation generally prefers that its trademark not be used as a generic term, but the informal usage is widespread.

 

[The Lawgiver]

The only company i have seen avoid this is nintendo because they nipped that shit in the bud when it started by spamming ads and PSAS everywhere about how nintendo is their company name and not a generic term for game systems.

coke (and pepsi to a lesser degree) will never recover from that happening to them.

 

[Poppavalyim Andropoff]

genericized trademarks. heroin, aspirin, trampoline, granola.

the cause is either being the inventor, like Bayer AG with aspirin & heroin, or it being the most popular, like Coke.