A trademark is a word or design, or a combination of word and design used to identify the source of a product, and to distinguish one product from another. A service mark performs the same function for services.
How do I register a trademark or service mark?
Trademarks and service marks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office. In order to qualify for registration, a mark must be unique, and must be applied to goods or services used in interstate commerce.
What is a copyright?
Copyright protects the expression of an idea or concept. Ideas are “expressed” in books, movies, music, software, sound recordings and other media.
How do I create a copyright?
A copyright is created when an idea is “fixed” or recorded in tangible form. Registration of a copyright in the United States Copyright Office gives the holder or woner of a copyright important procedural rights in addition to the exclusive right to profit from the copyrighted work.
What makes a good trademark?
The best trademarks are those that are “arbitrary” and “fanciful”; words that are made up (think “Xerox” or “Exxon”); or whose meaning bears no relation to the products to which they are attached (think “Google”). These marks acquire meaning by virtue of the fact of their application to a specific product; they are the opposite […]
