MONOPOLY & PRODUCTS

In the realm of Business some companies exercise total monopoly over a segment/product that the Product tends to be identified with them . Normally in most cases they might be the inventors of that Product or segment . I will write more on this topic and cite examples later. Was reading one of my Quiz group questions & was surprised to know that Canon and not Xerox is the leader in Photocopier Market . In India in particular the act of photocopying has always been called "Xeroxing "signifying the extent to which they were entwined.

. I have in the past read articles about the decline of Xerox (There was good write up on Anne Mulcahy their current CEO who is effecting a turn-around in FORTUNE a few months back) but this came as a bit of surprise to me . Any inputs ( Similar examples I could think of are Caterpillar , Ford , Mcdonnel-Douglas , Apple -- Companies which created / were leaders in their respective segments but languishing now ) ??