Trampoline. Videotape. Linoleum. Windsurfer. Plenty of products started life as trademarks, from Aspirin to Zoom, slowly easing into lower-case status in the dictionary. Some brands echo the creator’s name, from biro to leotard, while others explain the gadget’s function, such as Philips’ air fryer or Sony’s memory stick.

Further labels derive from serendipity. Some 20 years ago, that happened on Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, after a string of experiments between customer and barista. Zenon Misko, a Ukrainian-Australian trademark attorney, was the customer needing a double ristretto to face the day. Cate Della Bosca, owner of Newtown S.C., was the alchemist open to ideas.

Melbourne’s magic coffee: a Frankensteined flat white, a global hit, and a trademark tale to pour over.Credit: Eddie Jim

“Around mid-morning,” recalls Zenon, “I took a break from the office to grab a coffee. But in winter, I wanted something that would last a bit longer, so I’d get a double-ristretto flat white.” A mouthful to order, and a........

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