What is a trademark?

A trademark is a word, letter, phrase, logo, label, numeral, colour, sign, signature or any combination of words, letters, labels, signatures that identify and distinguish the sources of goods or services of one party from those of others.

Examples of Trademarks

Why do they need to be protected?

The simple answer is that if trademarks are not protected by the rightful owner, the risk of third parties benefiting from the goodwill the trademark has gathered over the years will be much higher. The trademark owner would have to spend a lot of time and money in court trying to prove that the trademark belongs to them and not the third party who may have started using a similar or the same trademark in connection to their own trade.