Donald Duncan

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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 the name Yo-yo was a trademark of his company until 1965. In a landmark intellectual property case that year (Donald F. Duncan, Inc. v. Royal Tops Mfg. Co., 343 F.2d 655 (7th Cir. 1965), 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 seen as a miscarriage of justice, and if considered as a valid precedent would imperil similarly successful trademarks, such as BAND-AID, Ziploc and Kleenex.

Among the other companies he founded are the Good Humor mobile frozen treats franchise and a parking meter company which dominates that industry to this day. Most notable among the inventions credited to Duncan is the concept of the premium incentive—a marketing tactic wherein the consumer is encouraged to collect proofs of purchase and redeem them for rewards, such as small toys or discount coupons.