A trademark is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from others. The trademark owner can be an individual, business organization, or any legal entity.
Understanding Trademarks
Trademarks not only help distinguish products within the legal and business systems—but just as significantly—with consumers. They are used to identify and protect words and design elements that identify the source, owner, or developer of a product or service. They can be corporate logos, slogans, bands, or the brand name of a product. Similar to a trademark, a service mark identifies and distinguishes the source of a service rather than a product, and the term trademark is often used to refer to both trademarks and service marks.
Using a trademark prevents others from using a company or individual's products or services without their permission. They also prohibit any marks that have a likelihood of confusion with an existing one. This means that a business cannot use a symbol or brand name if it looks or sounds similar, or has a similar meaning to one that’s already on the books—especially if the products or services are related. For instance, a soft drink company can't legally use a symbol that looks like that of Coca-Cola and it can't use a name that sounds.