The Different Kinds of Trademarks

When you are on a road trip, what sign would make you stop and eat: the Golden Arches of McDonald’s or the red roof of a Pizza Hut? Would your spouse be excited to receive a light blue box for their anniversary?

As you can see, color and images play a huge role in reminding customers what your company, its products or its services stand for. These are all trademarks: the visual aspect of your brand. Trademarks can go beyond visual, and include sounds (“Intel inside”) and scents.

A trademark identifies your company as the source of a particular product/service in the marketplace. Trademark law protects consumers by preventing companies from confusing them.

Selecting the name of your new company, product or service is therefore a big deal.

There are five basic types of trademarks:

1. Arbitrary words that have nothing to do with your company, product or service, like APPLE computers or OLD CROW whiskey.

2. Fanciful or made-up words that you create to be your brand name, like KODAK cameras, film and accessories or XEROX for copying equipment.