Trademark Law: A Small Introduction
submitted: Aug 28th 2008 |
by: RexStevenson |
Total views: 1 |
Word Count: 587 |
|
The branches of Intellectual Property Law include Trademark Law, Copyright Law, and Patent Law. Copyright law can be described as a right for an artist to own its works and prevent it from being used or copied by others illegally. The difference between this law and the patent law is the fact that patent law refers to the idea of the creation while copyright only protects its forms of expression. The patent law refers to inventions which include science, biology, technology, etc., this law makes sure that nobody will use a person's invention to gain benefits by selling it or making it their own.
The trademark law is a little different; it protects any symbols, names or forms of signature that are found on a company's products. Trademarks can be names, drawings, sounds, images, or anything original about a certain company. However, services are distinguished by service marks which act as trademarks but are used for services.
Actually trademark law keeps anyone from using a company's representation as theirs, in order to obtain benefits from selling illegally marked products. Also it helps a company's products from being copied and its reputation among its clients.
Trademark law also guarantees the liberty of competition by protecting the possessor of a mark. Clients may be confused when another company uses the same mark, so another good thing about trademark law is protecting them from any confusion concerning original products.
Artists are also influenced by the trademark law, no matter the field, it can be design, music, or literature. Also, they are guaranteed that their work will not be stolen or used in unapproved activities. Trademark law concerns any artistic title like domain names or characters and keeps away confusion regarding these titles.
Secondary meaning is another term which pops out when speaking about trademark laws. This term is a synonym for commercial use or commercial appeal and it refers to titles. These titles are protected, no matter the field, but they have to be famous and meet some requirements. Even titles that represent one type of merchandise can obtain protection in another type of merchandise. But one shot titles are not protected by the trademark law.
Trade dress is the visual image when speaking about trademark laws. It includes all the shapes, design and packaging that are being used for a certain type of product. This will make sure that clients will recognize it when searching for a product.
Domain names are web addresses consigned to certain computers on the internet. These names are extensively utilized by companies in connection with entertainment, information, and publishing. Any use of the domain name without permission is a violation of the trademark right of the owner. Fortunately, current legislations have made battling unlawful trademark users.
Companies can use certain characters to represent their products. This way the characters become a representation of a certain product and help people identify that product with the company. The moment a character leaves the original environment and acts as a symbol or trademark it loses it's copyright but wins the protection of trademark laws.
Trademark law also has sanctions over the mishandling of an author's name. According to unfair competition laws any author can take legal action against bogus source designation or false advertising if their role to a certain literary piece or work is imprecisely depicted. Another violation of the right of an author is an illegal unauthorized modification of their work. In a nutshell, the trademark law is concerned about corporate integrity and educated purchasing decisions. It promotes the progress of the society's economy.
About the Author
Your Trademark Law explains everything you need to know about trademarks, copyrights, and patents. It is your personal reference to protecting your business.
Comments
No comments posted.
You do not have permission to comment. If you log in, you may be able to comment.
