Trademarks What is a Trademark or Service Mark?

Trademarks
What is a Trademark or Service Mark?
According to the U.S. Patent and Trademark office:
• A trademark is a word, phrase, symbol or design, or a combination of words,
phrases, symbols or designs, 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 a product.
Registering a trademark is not required by law. However, most businesses choose to do so.
Registering a mark with the federal government establishes legal public notice of the registrant's
claim of ownership of the mark. In addition, registration establishes the registrant's exclusive
legal right to use the mark throughout the United States.