Trademarks

A trademark is anything that is used, or intended to be used, to identify the goods of one manufacturer from the goods manufactured or sold by others. Trademarks include words, names, symbols and logos—example: McDonald's golden arches distinctly identify its products from those of other fast food restaurants. In short, trademarks are brand names. Trademarks are important business tools because they allow companies to establish their products reputation without having to worry that an inferior product will diminish their reputation or profit by deceiving the consumer.

A service mark is very similar to a trademark, except that it is used to distinguish services in the stream of commerce. Like a trademark, a service mark can include words, names, symbols and logos. Typically, trademarks appear on the actual product or its packaging, while service marks appear mostly in advertising for the services.