When do brand names become generic? Growing up, making a copy was to Xerox it - whether or not the machine was made by Xerox. Kleenex is synonymous with pocket tissues, and Band-Aids are used instead of adhesive bandages; beyond being just brand names, these brands monopolized the market early, eventually dominating and becoming fully entangled with their offerings. For Hedge Funds, the synonymity ties back to those halcyon days when the first hedge funds used to actually hedge their portfolios against risk.