Trademarks

Start with trademark functions

The Trademarks page brings together resources made by GoConqr users. For an introduction, start with the Trade Mark Intro flashcards. They ask why businesses need trade marks, what trade marks protect and what their purpose is. Use the questions to identify the ideas you want to explore in more detail.

Then look at the mind map on trademark subject matter. It covers what can count as a sign and lists examples such as words, designs, letters, numerals and the shape of goods or packaging. Compare those examples with the introductory questions in the flashcards.

Move on to registration and distinctiveness

The Trade mark registration mind map covers filing an application, including the statement of goods or services for which protection is sought. Another mind map covers the advantages of registering, legal title and the functions of a trademark. Read these alongside the introductory material to connect the purpose of a mark with the registration process.

For a different emphasis, the Trademark and Unfair Competition Law mind map covers the nature of trademark rights and a spectrum of distinctiveness. Its topics include descriptive marks, surnames, color and sounds.

Use maps and questions together

Mind maps offer a way to follow connections between points, while flashcards present questions to work through. After reading a map, return to the Trade Mark Intro deck and see how you would answer its questions. The Trademark flashcards also cover registrability and likelihood of confusion. You can use the page's quiz as another way to practice.

Place the topic in its unit

Trademarks is one section of Intellectual Property: General Principles in Commercial and company law. The resources approach the topic from different angles, so check the context of each one as you study. For example, the flashcards on applicant identity discuss trademark applications in Canada, while other resources refer to the Trade Marks Act 1994. Choose a resource that fits the question you are studying and explore it at your own pace.