trademarks
Registered brand identifiers
Trademarks are words, symbols, or designs that identify products or services as coming from a particular source.
Companies register trademarks to prevent competitors from using confusingly similar marks.
Some trademarks become so dominant they risk becoming generic terms—aspirin and escalator were once trademarks.
As a verb, to trademark is to register such protection: They trademarked the logo.
Figuratively, something can be someone's trademark—a distinctive characteristic: His dry wit was his trademark.
Company identifying symbol
- sloganMemorable promotional phrase
- taglineMemorable branding phrase
- brand identityCompany's distinctive public face
- positioningArranging in specific locations
differentiation · recognition · equity · persona · packaging · jingle · swoosh · golden arches
Violation of rights
- litigationLegal dispute process
- enforcementCompelling compliance with rules
- dilutionReduction in concentration
- genericizationTrademark becoming common noun
passing off · unfair competition · counterfeiting · piracy · cybersquatting · injunction · damages · opposition
Ongoing payments to creators
- licensorOne granting usage rights
- licenseeHolder of granted rights
- franchiseLicensed business operation
- sublicenseDerivative usage authorization
merchandising · quality control · territory · usage rights · brand licensing · cross-licensing
Formal request document
- filingStoring documents systematically
- USPTOFederal intellectual property agency
- classesInstructional sessions or groupings
- specimenIndividual for examination
search · renewal · publication · examiner · serial number · disclaimer · registration certificate
Ongoing observation of something
- border enforcementSecuring territorial limits
- takedownForced grounding maneuver
- authenticationConfirming genuine identity
- anti-counterfeitingStopping production of fakes
logo
Company identifying symbol
- sloganMemorable promotional phrase
- taglineMemorable branding phrase
- brand identityCompany's distinctive public face
positioning · differentiation · recognition · equity · persona · packaging · jingle · swoosh · golden arches · mermaid
infringement
Violation of rights
- litigationLegal dispute process
- enforcementCompelling compliance with rules
- dilutionReduction in concentration
genericization · passing off · unfair competition · counterfeiting · piracy · cybersquatting · injunction · damages · opposition · cancellation
royalties
Ongoing payments to creators
- licensorOne granting usage rights
- licenseeHolder of granted rights
- franchiseLicensed business operation
sublicense · merchandising · quality control · territory · usage rights · brand licensing · cross-licensing
application
Formal request document
- filingStoring documents systematically
- USPTOFederal intellectual property agency
- classesInstructional sessions or groupings
specimen · search · renewal · publication · examiner · serial number · disclaimer · registration certificate
monitoring
Ongoing observation of something
- border enforcementSecuring territorial limits
- takedownForced grounding maneuver
- authenticationConfirming genuine identity
- intellectual propertypatents, copyright, patent, copyrights, IP rights
- government recordspublic records, legal records, presidential records, state laws, federal contracts
- African lawconstitutional court, indigenous law, high court, court of appeal, attorney general
- Commerce DepartmentNOAA, USPTO, commerce secretary, National Weather Service, patents
- entertainment lawcopyright, music rights, distribution rights, licensing deals, infringement
- law and economicsantitrust, economic analysis, market regulation, legal frameworks, antitrust law
trademarksgeneric names
Non-proprietary designations
common nouns · generics · everyday words · plain language · store brands
- registered trademarkLegally protected brand identifier
- trademark infringementUnauthorized use of protected marks
- trademark rightsLegal protection for marks
- trademark symbolUnregistered brand claim marker
- trademark lawRules governing commercial identifiers
- trademark violationIllegal brand copying