second thoughts on Nkinis

[Douglas G. Wilson]

>>>    French monokini and bikini were both app. coined by Louis Reard and
>>>patented by him in 1946: see Femmes d'Aujourd'hui (1972) 12 July.]

What does this mean? I don't think a word can be patented, can it?

As for the referents, neither a skimpy two-piece swimsuit nor either of its
parts would seem to have qualified as a novel invention, even in 1946.

Maybe somebody is referring to registered trademarks? [I can't find
'bikini' as a trademark (US) as early as 1946, or 'monokini' at all.]

-- Doug Wilson