trademark – n : legal/marketing term; an identifying name or graphical mark that is uniquely identified with a specific product, service or company. Trademarks can be names, logos, slogans or symbols, and serve as important elements in branding and building brand equity. Trademarks can be legally claimed or reserved by a company by simply labeling the mark or name with the trademark symbol ™. A more rigorous (and legally defensible) way to protect a company’s exclusive rights to a mark or name is to formally register it (a registered trademark , indicated by the symbol ®) with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO).
– v : the act of legally claiming exclusive use rights to a unique mark, name or slogan/tagline.

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Adapted from "The CompanyCrafters Entrepreneur's Dictionary"
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