What is a fanciful trademark?

A fanciful trademark is a type of trademark that consists of a made-up or invented word with no inherent meaning. These types of trademarks are unique and distinctive, as they do not describe the product or service being offered. Fanciful trademarks are easier to protect as they are less likely to be confused with other existing trademarks.

Invented word trademark

When a company creates a new word specifically for use as a trademark, it is known as an invented word trademark. These words have no previous meaning in any language and are solely used to identify and distinguish the company's products or services. Examples of famous fanciful trademarks include Kodak, Xerox, and Clorox.

Distinctive trademark

Fanciful trademarks are considered to be highly distinctive as they are not descriptive of the goods or services they represent. This distinctiveness makes them strong trademarks that are easily recognizable and memorable to consumers.

Trademark protection

Due to their distinctiveness and uniqueness, fanciful trademarks receive a higher level of protection under trademark law. Owners of fanciful trademarks have stronger legal grounds to prevent others from using similar marks in the same industry.

Trademark classification

Fanciful trademarks fall under the category of inherently distinctive trademarks, along with arbitrary trademarks. These trademarks have the highest level of protection and are easier to enforce against potential infringers.