Trade Marks

Trademarks A trademark is a combination of words and symbols that a business uses to identify its products or services. Trademarks are important to both consumers and businesses. Consumers use trademarks to distinguish between competing products. People who feel that Nike shoes fit their feet best can rely on the Nike trademark to know they are buying the shoe they want.

Trademarks A business with a high-quality product can use a trademark to develop a loyal base of customers who are able to distinguish its product from another. A mark is a sign,or combination of signs, capable of distinguishing the goods or services of one undertaking from those of other undertakings. The sign may particularly consist of one or more distinctive words, letters, numbers,

Trademarks drawings or pictures, emblems, colors or combinations of colors, or maybe three- dimensional, such as the form of containers or packages for the product (provided they are not solely dictated by their function). The sign may also consist of combinations of any of the foregoing.

Types of Marks Certification Marks Service Marks Trademarks Famous (well-known) marks Individual marks Collective marks

Service Marks Service marks are used to identify services, not products. Besides other physical signs visual and audio effects, and sounds can also be used. Examples: Burger King, BBC, TRT, Super FM, music clips etc.

Certification Marks Certification marks are words or symbols used by a person or organization to attest that products and services produced by others meet certain standards. Examples: TSE (Türk Standartları Enstitüsü Uygunluk Belgesi), TSEK (Türk Standartları Enstitüsü Kalite Belgesi), TüV (Technische Überwachungs-Verein), ISO (International Organization for Standardization), St.WT (Stiftung für Waren Test), CE

Individual Marks Individual marks are registered for a certain product or product category. The rights of the trademark holder are protected only for this specified product. Other people can use and register the same mark for different products. Example: “Twins” is registered by (A) for razor blades. The same mark can be registered by (B) for T-shirts.

Famous (Well-Known) Marks These marks are internationally well- known by the consumers of different countries. They are generally supported with expensive promotion activities, so that they obtain a cross-border effect (such as Coca Cola, Adidas, Nike, Gilette, Lacoste etc.). A famous mark give its holder an absolute protection for all product categories. Without his permission, nobody can use it even for the product types that are not produced by the trademark holder.

Collective Marks Collective marks are used to identify members of an organization comprising manufacturing, commercial or service activities. Example: