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In any case, the existence of a trademark for Ethernet would not necessarily explain its capitalization. Trademarks can become genericized, even in the face of corporate strategies to counteract genericization. Wikipedia's list of generic and genericized trademarks, for example, lists Xerox^® and Kleenex^® under "protected trademarks frequently used as generic terms." A quick internet search of style guides suggests Xerox and Kleenex are commonly used as examples of trademarks that should be capitalized. The section on trademarks (§8.153) in The Chicago Manual of Style lists both as examples of trademarks that should be capitalized (if their use cannot be unavoided), but also notes that Webster's differentiates the verbs xerox and google, among others, which are not capitalized. However, in Microsoft^® Word with AutoCorrect^™ enabled, typing use kleenex on the xerox copier is corrected to Use Kleenex on the xerox copier. Word does not appear to capitalize any use of xerox, independent of part of speech, including xerox corporation. Thus, even for these two widely cited examples, agreement is not universal.

In any case, the existence of a trademark for Ethernet would not necessarily explain its capitalization. Trademarks can become genericized, even in the face of corporate strategies to counteract genericization. Wikipedia's list of generic and genericized trademarks, for example, lists Xerox^® and Kleenex^® under "protected trademarks frequently used as generic terms." A quick internet search of style guides suggests Xerox and Kleenex are commonly used as examples of trademarks that should be capitalized. The section on trademarks (§8.153) in The Chicago Manual of Style lists both as examples of trademarks that should be capitalized (if their use cannot be avoided), but also notes that Webster's differentiates the verbs xerox and google, among others, which are not capitalized. However, in Microsoft^® Word with AutoCorrect^™ enabled, typing use kleenex on the xerox copier is corrected to Use Kleenex on the xerox copier. Word does not appear to capitalize any use of xerox, independent of part of speech, including xerox corporation. Thus, even for these two widely cited examples, agreement is not universal.

In any case, an active trademark for Ethernet would not necessarily explain its capitalization. Trademarks can become genericized, even in the face of corporate strategies to counteract genericization. Wikipedia's list of generic and genericized trademarks, for example, lists Xerox^® and Kleenex^® under "protected trademarks frequently used as generic terms." A quick internet search of style guides suggests Xerox and Kleenex are commonly used as examples of trademarks that should be capitalized. The section on trademarks (§8.153) in The Chicago Manual of Style lists both as examples of trademarks that should be capitalized (if their use cannot be unavoided), but also notes that Webster's differentiates the verbs xerox and google, among others, which are not capitalized. However, in Microsoft^® Word with AutoCorrect^™ enabled, typing use kleenex on the xerox copier is corrected to Use Kleenex on the xerox copier. Word does not appear to capitalize any use of xerox, independent of part of speech, including xerox corporation. Even for these commonly cited examples, agreement is not universal.

In any case, the existence of a trademark for Ethernet would not necessarily explain its capitalization. Trademarks can become genericized, even in the face of corporate strategies to counteract genericization. Wikipedia's list of generic and genericized trademarks, for example, lists Xerox^® and Kleenex^® under "protected trademarks frequently used as generic terms." A quick internet search of style guides suggests Xerox and Kleenex are commonly used as examples of trademarks that should be capitalized. The section on trademarks (§8.153) in The Chicago Manual of Style lists both as examples of trademarks that should be capitalized (if their use cannot be unavoided), but also notes that Webster's differentiates the verbs xerox and google, among others, which are not capitalized. However, in Microsoft^® Word with AutoCorrect^™ enabled, typing use kleenex on the xerox copier is corrected to Use Kleenex on the xerox copier. Word does not appear to capitalize any use of xerox, independent of part of speech, including xerox corporation. Thus, even for these two widely cited examples, agreement is not universal.

Ethernet does not appear to be an active registered trademark. (Disclaimer: I'm not well-versed in trademark application procedure or terms, but the following is what I could gather.) Application for ownership of the mark ETHERNET was filed on behalf of Xerox Corporation in 1979 and registered in 1981. The trademark applies to goods classified as "apparatus and instruments," described in the application as "Electronic Communications Networks, Transmitters, Receivers, Cables and Controllers." The trademark was cancelled in 1988 after Xerox did not a declaration under Section 8 of U.S. trademark law, which requires an affidavit stating that the mark "is in use in commerce." Since the original registration was cancelled, two applications for the trademark of ETHERNET have been filed but neither is active. Unlike Xerox's trademark, these applied to services rather than goods. The applications were filed on behalf of different LLCs with the same physical address, the first in 2011 for "Provision of access to the internet" and the second in 2013 for "Telecommunications services, namely, Internet access provider services."* Both applications have a status of "Dismissed or Invalidated" because of failed or late responses to the Trademark Office.

Ethernet does not appear to be an active registered trademark. (Disclaimer: I'm not well-versed in trademark application procedure or terms, but the following is what I could gather.) Application for ownership of the mark ETHERNET was filed on behalf of Xerox Corporation in 1979 and registered in 1981. The trademark applies to goods classified as "apparatus and instruments," described in the application as "Electronic Communications Networks, Transmitters, Receivers, Cables and Controllers." The trademark was cancelled in 1988 after Xerox did not file a declaration under Section 8 of U.S. trademark law, which requires an affirmation stating the mark "is in use in commerce." Subsequent to Xerox's lapse in ownership, two applications to trademark ETHERNET have been filed. Unlike Xerox's trademark, which applied to goods, the newer filings applied to services. The applications were made on behalf of different LLCs with the same physical address, the first in 2011 for "Provision of access to the internet" and the second in 2013 for "Telecommunications services, namely, Internet access provider services."* Neither trademark is in force: both applications have a status of "Dismissed or Invalidated" because of failed or late responses to the Trademark Office.