What a trademark actually is, the difference between trademark, copyright, and patent, and when each symbol is legal to use.
A trademark is a legally protectable identifier of a brand's commercial source, a name, logo, slogan, or other distinctive element. It is a different kind of intellectual property protection from copyright (which protects creative works) or patents (which protect inventions), and it is the foundation of any small business owner's brand ownership.
Not every brand element qualifies for trademark protection. Logos, slogans, and distinctive names generally can be trademarked. Colors and sounds can in narrow cases. Generic and merely descriptive terms cannot. Knowing what qualifies before you commit to a brand asset prevents expensive rebrands later.
Trademarks fall on a strength spectrum. Fanciful and arbitrary marks are strongest and easiest to protect. Suggestive marks are middle ground. Descriptive marks require proof of secondary meaning. Where a name sits on this spectrum determines how defensible the brand actually is.
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