Donald Duncan

Donald F. Duncan, Sr. (June 6, 1892 – May 15, 1971) was an American entrepreneur and inventor who is most commonly associated with Yo-yos; the commercial success they enjoyed during the 20th century in the United States, and subsequently throughout the world, was due largely to his marketing efforts.

Duncan is often miscredited with invention of the yo-yo. In fact, he never even held a patent on the toy, although Yo-yo was a trademark of his company until a 1965 intellectual property case in which a federal court of appeals ruled in favor of the Royal Tops Company, asserting that the term had become a part of common speech. This ruling is now widely considered a miscarriage of justice, and if considered as a valid precedent would imperil similarly successful trademarks, such as BAND-AID, Q-tip and Kleenex.

Among the other companies he founded are the Good Humor frozen treats franchise and a parking meter company which dominates that industry to this day. Most notable among Duncan's invention credits is the concept of the premium incentive—a marketing tactic wherein one collects proofs of purchase (i.e. boxtops or UPC barcodes) and redeems them for rewards, such as small toys or discount coupons.

Related articles

• Yo-yo

External links

• Duncan history page
• Duncan Parking Technologies
• Good Humor, now a subsidiary of Nestlé