A trademark distinguishes the products or services of one person or company from those of others in the marketplace.

A trademark prevents another person or company from offering a confusingly similar product or service. So a trademark protects your brand.

It also represents the reputation of the provider of such products and services.

It’s important to note that having a trademark doesn’t give you an absolute monopoly over a word(s) or tagline. Instead, it gives you a monopoly over a mental link between that word(s) and the products you sell or services you offer.

Trademark is a shortcut to get consumers to where they want to go.

You can also think about a trademark as a lighthouse acting as a guide to consumers of a product or service.