What is a Trademark?

What is a Trademark?

A trademark is any sign that distinguishes the goods or services of one business from those of another. It can be a word, a phrase, a logo, a design, a sound, a color combination — or any combination of these.

In simple terms: your trademark is what your customers recognize you by. It's the name on the bottle, the logo on the box, the swoosh on the shoe, the chime on the phone. It's how the marketplace tells you apart from your competitors.

Types of Trademarks

• Word marks — just the name in plain text (e.g., "GOOGLE"). Protects the word in any font or style.
• Logo marks — a graphic design or stylized representation (e.g., the Apple silhouette).
• Combination marks — word + logo together (e.g., the Starbucks siren with "STARBUCKS COFFEE" around it).
• Slogan marks — a memorable phrase ("Just Do It").
• Trade dress — the overall look and feel of packaging or a product (the shape of a Coca-Cola bottle).
• Sound marks — a distinctive jingle or sound (the Intel chime, the MGM lion's roar).
• Color marks — a single color used distinctively in trade (Tiffany blue, UPS brown).

Trademark vs Patent vs Copyright

People often mix these up. They protect different things:

• Trademark — protects brand identifiers (names, logos, slogans). Indefinite renewal.
• Patent — protects inventions and technical solutions. 20 years, then expires.
• Copyright — protects original creative works (books, music, art, code). Author's life + 50 years in Thailand.

For most businesses, trademarks are the most valuable form of IP because they grow in value over time and can be renewed forever.

What a Trademark Gives You

Once registered with the Thai DIP, your trademark gives you:

• Exclusive right to use the mark for your goods/services in Thailand
• Legal grounds to stop others from using a confusingly similar mark
• The right to use the ® symbol
• An asset you can license, sell, or use as collateral
• Standing to sue infringers and pursue damages