Trademarks and Service Marks
What is a Trademark?
A trademark is any word, name, symbol, or device, or any combination which is used or intended to be used to identify and distinguish the goods of one company from those of others. In short, a trademark is a brand name. For example, a product which cleans windows might have "sparklebrite" and a sparkler as its trademark.
What is a Service Mark?
A service mark is the same type of device as a trademark, but service marks distinguish the services of one company from those of another provider. Service marks are often slogans. For example, the service mark of a plumber might be "The Leak Fixers" with or without a distinctive logo. In another example, "About.Com" with the red dot for the "O" is a service mark.
What is the difference between "TM" and "SM" and ®?"
The TM and SM designations are place with trademarks and service marks to show that someone owns them. The "R" symbol designates a trademark or service mark that has been registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
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