Trademarks Generally speaking, Trademarks are distinctive symbols, pictures, or words that sellers of products/goods affix to distinguish and identify the origin of their products/goods.    That said, the term "Trademark" is also often used to refer generally to service marks, trade names, collective marks, trade dress, and certification marks.   Service Marks A service mark is substantially identical to a trademark except that service marks identify SERVICES (e.g. cleaning service, painting, etc.) rather than products/goods.   Trade Names Names used to identify and distinguish a business entity rather than to distinguish the goods or services the entity provides. Collective Marks   Collective Marks are used by members of an organization to identify goods or services of the members or to identify membership in the organization.  A collective trademark or collective service mark is a mark adopted by a "collective" (i.e., an association, union, cooperative, fraternal organization, or other organized collective group) for use only by its members, who in turn use the mark to identify their goods or services and distinguish them from those of nonmembers. The "collective" itself neither sells goods nor performs services under a collective trademark or collective service mark, but the collective may advertise or otherwise promote the goods or services sold or rendered by its members under the mark.  A collective membership mark is a mark adopted for the purpose of indicating membership in an organized collective group, such as a union, an association, or other organization. Neither the collective nor its members uses the collective membership mark to identify and distinguish goods or services; rather, the sole function of such a mark is to indicate that the person displaying the mark is a member of the organized collective group. Examples include UAW, PGA, and International Brotherhood of Teamsters.     Trade Dress Trade Dress refers to characteristics of the visual appearance of a product or its packaging that may be registered and protected from being used by competitors.  Such characteristics can include the three-dimensional shape, graphic design, color, or even smell of a product and/or its packaging. Certification Marks Certification Marks used to certify regional or other origin, material, mode of manufacturer, quality, accuracy, or other characteristics of the goods or services. Examples include: UL, U.S. GRADE A, FRESH FROM FLORIDA.   Trade Secret A trade Secret is a formula, practice, process, design, instrument, pattern, or compilation of information used by a business to obtain an advantage over competitors or customers. Link to Trade Secret Information

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