A trademark is a distinctive
sign of some kind which is used by a
business to identify itself and its
products and
services to
consumers, and to set the business and its products
or services apart from those of other businesses. A
trademark is a type of
intellectual property, and in particular, a type of
industrial property. Conventionally, a
trademark comprises a name, word, phrase,
logo,
symbol, design, image, or a combination of one or
more of these elements. There is also a range of
non-conventional trademarks which do not fall into
these standard categories. The essential function
of a trademark is to serve as an identifier of the
commercial source or origin of products or services,
such that a trademark, properly called, indicates source
or acts as a badge of origin. The use of a trademark in
this way is known as trademark use, and a trademark
owner seeks to enforce its rights or interests in a
trademark by preventing unauthorized trademark use.
