A trademark is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression which identifies products or services of a particular source from those of others, although trademarks used to identify services are usually called service marks.

What does having a trademark mean?

The term trademark refers to a recognizable insignia, phrase, word, or symbol that denotes a specific product and legally differentiates it from all other products of its kind. A trademark exclusively identifies a product as belonging to a specific company and recognizes the company's ownership of the brand.

What is an example of a trademark?

The golden arches of McDonald's® is an example of a design that is a registered trademark. The Nike® logo with the swoosh is a combination of a word and a design that is a registered trademark. ... Learn more about the two different formats of trademarks and their filing requirements.