Trademark
BeginnerA trademark is a legally protected sign, such as a name, logo, slogan, sound or design, that identifies the goods or services of a particular business and distinguishes them from those of others.
Trademarks help customers recognise products and trust their origin. When you see a familiar logo on a product, the trademark tells you who made it and what to expect.
Registering a trademark gives the owner exclusive rights to use it for specified types of goods or services in the countries where it is registered. Others cannot use the same or a confusingly similar mark for related products. Unlike patents, trademarks can last indefinitely, as long as they continue to be used and renewal fees are paid.
For example, a sportswear company's logo is a registered trademark. If another business sold shoes with a nearly identical logo, the owner could take legal action to stop it.
Trademarks can be very valuable assets, because they carry the reputation and brand equity built over many years. Companies protect them carefully by registering them in key markets, monitoring for misuse and acting against counterfeits. In some cases, a brand name that becomes a generic word for a type of product can lose its trademark protection.
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