Trademarks, Service Marks, and Classification

The idea of branded services is relatively new in “trademark” history. It took technological advances in transportation and especially communication to make it so that services of certain character could be provided generally to a mass market of consumers across a wide area. Until the 20th, even banks and insurance companies were local service providers. … Continued

What Can and Cannot Be Registered?

In choosing the symbol that will stand for a product in the minds of consumers, all of the factors governing what may and may not be, or become, a registered U.S. trademark should be carefully considered. As a general rule, almost anything may be used as a mark (trademark, service mark, collective membership mark, or … Continued

Trade Mark or Trade Name?

The name on the door of a business, the name in the telephone book, or the name on a Web site, is the name under which a person or company does business. It’s a business name. It is not per se a trademark. Selecting a business name is relatively uncomplicated. There are few restrictions. In … Continued

Notion of Trademarks/Law

The trademark is a tradition with a history as long as the marketplace. Since ancient times, proud craftspeople have put their individual marks on their work, and consumers have long depended on trademarks both to authenticate the source of the goods they buy and to stand for them as a mark of particular quality. For … Continued