Simply put, it's
a brand name. More formally, it's "a word, phrase, symbol
or design, or a combination of words, phrases, symbols or
designs, that identifies and distinguishes the source of the
goods of one party from those of others." (USPTO) A service
mark identifies a service rather than a product.
Trademark protection only applies to a particular category
of goods or services, although a single trademark owner may
use it in multiple categories. For example, Nike Inc. owns
the mark on a variety of shoes, clothing, sporting goods,
etc., but Sweden's Nike Corporation could not prevent their
use of the name because Nike Corporation's trademark was for
heavy machinery, including hydraulic lifting jacks, pistons
and presses.
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