Product trademarks fall into five categories. In general terms, these marks can be a generic brand, a descriptive brand, a suggestive brand, an imaginative brand, or an arbitrary brand. The USPTO classifies trademarks primarily based on the nature of the product in relation to the brand in question. An arbitrary mark draws words or phrases from the vernacular.
However, these words should have no relation to the products they mean. The caveat then becomes the increase in the cost of advertising strategies. Efforts should focus on instilling the audience with the new semantic association. However, this should not be discouraging, as success would mean significant benefits.
Take Apple, for example, a brand that bears the name of a fruit. It sells electronic products known not only as luxury devices, but also, ironically, as non-edible products. A considerable part of its success is attributable to the synergy of its effective marketing and its careful management of Intellectual Property. Almost anything can be a trademark if you indicate the source of your products and services.
It can be a word, a slogan, a design, or a combination of these. It can even be a sound, a scent, or a color. Despite the fact, only a fraction of the population knows the exact purpose of a brand, and even fewer people can identify its general types. Other types of trademarks include certification marks, collective membership marks, and collective trademarks.
When you understand the types of trademarks, you can make sure to apply for one that gets approval and raises awareness for your brand. This type of trademark shows the belonging of each person and distinguishes services or products from those that do not belong to the group. When filing a trademark, the applicant may choose any of the above-mentioned types of marks based on the nature of the trademark. It's best to fully understand each type so that you can choose one that may qualify for protection under trademark laws.
If you need help with the types of trademarks, you can post your question or concern on the UpCounsel marketplace. Whatever the type of trademark, the purpose of the trademark is the same: to distinguish the source of goods or services and to guarantee consumers the quality of the product or service. Unlike other types of trademarks, a certification mark is used by an authorized user, not the owner. When applying for trademark protection, it's important to understand the differences between each type.
Understanding the different types will also help you know if you need to make changes to your brand before applying for a brand.
