The UID and Generic-ization

I’ve been ploughing through the FAQ  published by the UIDAI which makes some pretty interesting reading. Buried in a lot of logistical and operational detail, in a section titled “Information, Education, Communication Related”, I found this intriguing Q&A:

What are the Dos & Don’ts with respect to the use /display of the UID Number in our (Registrar) processes/documents?Does the UIDAI have a brand logo / name usage guidelines?
The UID number should henceforth be referred to as Aadhaar. The usage of the word  Aadhaar should be restricted to that of a proper noun. For example, usage such as “NREGA ka Aadhaar” and “Ration ka Aadhaar” should be avoided. The guidelines for the display of Aadhaar logo will be provided separately.

I can think of no other reason for the restriction of the invocation of Aadhar to its  “proper noun” form except, evidently the PR Guys at the UID Authority are afraid that ‘Aadhar’ will become generic (like ‘Xerox’ for photocopying) and will lose it’s brand value! I think this is symptomic of an unthinking, paranoid fetishisation of intellectual property that  has crept into even the government these days. If you’re a commercial entity (like Google), I suppose it would make sense to be wary of your brand becoming generic. Your very survival in the market would depend on your being able, uniquely, exclusively to control the instances when your precious brand name can be uttered. So the coining of a word like ‘googling’ can legitimately set off panic bells ringing in company headquarters. I understand this.

But what’s got into the Government? Isn’t the ‘generic-ization’ of its scheme actually in its own interests? Don’t you want, as a Government, your supposedly beneficial scheme to become so popular among people that it’s name passes into their languages as a common noun? Who are you hoping to extract licensing revenues out of for the use of the word Aadhar? Why is the ‘brand’ so goddam important?

We already have, in India, The Emblems And Names (Prevention Of Improper Use) Act, 1950 which forbids, generally, the private use of Government names and emblems. The Act, inter alia, forbids the use of any name which “may suggest or be calculated to suggest connection with any local authority or any corporation or body constituted by the Government under any law for the time being in force.” Such as the UIDAI. For abundant caution, the UIDAI could also take the pains to insert one line in the Schedule to the Act – something along the lines of “The name, emblem or official seal of the UID Authority of India”. Finis. The Government thereby gets absolute monopoly and sovereignty over its prized emblem, far in excess of anything that Trade Mark law can hope to provide. Unlike trademarks, official emblems have the added advantage of never running the risk of becoming generic. Like diamonds, or nuclear waste, they are eternal.

Again, why the bleeding, inferior Trade Mark?? Has the Government forgotten itself?