A trademark is any word, phrase or logo used to distinguish the goods or services of one company from another. A trademark can be a brand name, company name, slogan or logo. Trademarks are important business tools because they allow companies to establish their products' reputations; they preclude, for example, an inferior product coming along and seizing the market by deceiving the consumer. Anything that distinctly identifies a product or service can be a trademark.

Technically, a trademark refers to a mark used on goods and products, whereas a service mark is used to distinguish services in the stream of commerce. Typically, trademarks appear on the actual product or its packaging, while service marks appear mostly in advertising for the service. However, the laws and registration procedures of both trademarks and service marks are identical.