Trade mark / Trademark
1) A trade mark is a brand name, symbol or logo, which is registered and protected for the owner’s sole use
2) A trademark is a word, name, phrase, symbol, or
design, or a combination of these elements, which
identifies and distinguishes the source of goods or
services
Trademark rightsare used to prevent others from making, promoting, orselling goods or services which have a name, symbol,or design that is confusingly similar to that of an established
trademark. It does not, however, prevent others
from making or selling the same goods or services, aslong as it is under a different, non-confusing mark .
Whentrademarks are presented to the public via advertising,marketing, trade shows, or other means,
they become one of a company’s most valuable
assets - potential customers identify a company
by its trademark. Because certain trademarks immediatelycreate an image of quality goods and
services to potential buyers, they are valuable
assets that should be protected.
When trademarks are registered at the state,federal, or international levels, their owners areprovided the maximum legal protection for companynames and/or company products. The creation of trademarks involves the development of symbols or other devices to identify products and services in the marketplace. Guidelines exist for creating trademarks. Individuals who are developing trademarks must avoid generically descriptive and misleading terms as well as foreign translations. As soon as a tentative trademark has been developed, its creators should consult a patent attorney for assistance making it sufficiently distinctive to be registrable .
⠀ Brassington, F., Pettitt, S. (2013). Essentials of marketing (3rd ed.). Pearson Education Limited (p. 215).
⠀ Rhode, C. R. (2006). Patents and trademarks. In M. M. Helmes (Ed.). Encyclopediaofmanagement (5thed., pp. 641-643).FarlingtonHills : ThomsonGale (P. 642).