Trademarks are useful when protecting intellectual property. A company’s IP can be one of the most valuable assets that it owns, and they do not want anyone else to be able to use that, especially if it is pulling away their own sales or customers.
However, trademark violations do happen, and they often lead to significant litigation. There can even be international trademark violations, where companies in other countries are making products that violate these protections. Let’s take a quick look at some common examples.
Stylized text
Many companies use a specific type of stylized text that sets them apart. It is not just the words “Coca-Cola” that are trademarked by the company, for instance, but the very style in which those words are written and then printed on bottles, cans, T-shirts and other types of merchandise.
Company logos
Logos are a very important part of intellectual property because they quickly identify the company to potential consumers. Someone who sees the golden arches of McDonald’s immediately knows what restaurant that is, what type of food to expect and things of this nature. Logos are often very important for car companies because a badge will be put on the front of the vehicle that makes it identifiable to everyone who passes it on the road.
Color schemes
In some cases, even color schemes can be trademarked. Companies will be known for having a certain type of color scheme on their products, their vehicles or the uniforms that their employees wear. An example of this is how UPS trucks are traditionally brown, and DHL trucks are traditionally yellow.
Litigation over IP violations can grow very complicated, especially across international borders, and those involved must understand all their legal options.