Kleenex, Xerox, and MP3s

I received a renewal notice from Computer Associates today, reminding me that my antivirus protection has expired and offering a discount towards renewal. In the envelope was included a glossy, four color insert describing the dangers of not having anti-viral software, with a not-too-subtle photograph of a begloved hand reaching for the handle through the door's shattered glass pane.

Aside from hackers stealing passwords, viral infections spreading through your address book, and pop-up bombardment, it also mentioned loss of financial records, digital photos and MP3s as some of the nasty effects of leaving computers unprotected on the internet. It occurred to me that MP3 might very well be on its way to becoming a generic word, like kleenex, or xerox. It is easier to say "MP3" when referring to all kinds of formats, but come on, why not say "digital music"? It's not like writing telegrams where you're billed by character, making terse and concise messages necessary and three letters win over thirteen.