A trademark is a sign used to differentiate one company’s goods or services from those of other companies.
In general, trademarks are any letter, word, number, drawing, color, picture, arrangement, advertising title, trademark, or combination of the above signs used to distinguish the goods and services of different companies. In some countries, advertising slogans are recognized as trademarks and can be registered with national trademark offices. An increasing number of countries allow the registration of non-traditional marks such as three-dimensional signs (for example, a Coca-Cola bottle or a Toblerone chocolate bar), audible signs (sounds, for example, the lion’s roar is used in films produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corporation (MGM), or olfactory signs (smell, e.g., perfume). However, many nations restrict the signs that can be registered as trademarks, generally only authorizing the registration of trademarks that are visible or can be represented graphically.
A trademark has the following purposes:
- Support customers to recognize a company’s products (whether goods or services) to differentiate them from identical or similar products provided by rivals. Customers who are pleased with a product are more inclined to buy or use it again in the future. As a result, they must be able to distinguish between identical or similar products.
- Supports businesses in differentiating their products from those of rivals. Therefore, trademarks play an important role in a company’s advertising and marketing strategy to develop the image and reputation of its products in consumer’s mind.
- Encourage businesses to invest in maintaining or increasing the quality of their products to guarantee that the brand’s item has a positive reputation.
