United States Patent and Trademark Office

Protecting Your Trademark: Enhancing Your Rights Through Federal Registration United States Patent and Trademark Office

TRADEMARK, COPYRIGHT, OR PATENT - What is a trademark or service mark? - - A trademark is generally a word, phrase, symbol, or design, or a combination thereof, that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods of one party from those of others. - A service mark is the same as a trademark, except that it identifies and distinguishes the source of a service rather than goods. Throughout this booklet, the terms "trademark" and "mark" refer to both trademarks and service marks. Do trademarks, copyrights, and patents protect the same things? - No. Trademarks, copyrights, and patents protect different types of intellectual property. A trademark typically protects brand names and logos used on goods and services. A copyright protects an original artistic or literary work. A patent protects an invention. For example, if you invent a new kind of vacuum cleaner, you would apply for a patent to protect the invention itself. You would apply to register a trademark to protect the brand name...