A trademark is an exclusive right to use a name, symbol, design or tag line in connection with a particular product or service. “Exclusive” means that only the owner of the trademark can use it in connection with that particular product or service.

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A trademark is a business asset for a company

But it’s also a public good - it allows consumers to know what company they are buying from. This is why one of the goals of trademark law is avoiding confusion by consumers. In legalese, a trademark is a “source identifier.”

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So what can Trademark protect? 

Brand Names or the Names of Products:  Coca Cola, Tylenol, Band-Aid

Slogans or Taglines - Just do it, Think Different, All the News That’s Fit to Print

Logos - Apple, Shell, Mcdonalds 

Even sounds or scents, like the MGM Lion roar.

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A trademark protects a right to use any of these things - brand names, slogans, logos, sounds or smells exclusively in connection with the product or service they are associated with.