Legal Definitions - Community trademark

A community trademark is a type of trademark that is registered with the European UnionTrademark Office and is recognized in all EU countries. It is similar to a regular trademark, which is a word, phrase, logo, or other graphic symbol used by a manufacturer or seller to distinguish its product or products from those of others. The main purpose of a trademark is to designate the source of goods or services.

For example, the Nike swoosh logo is a trademark that distinguishes Nike's products from those of other companies. Another example is the McDonald's golden arches logo, which identifies McDonald's restaurants and their products.

A community trademark is important for businesses that operate in multiple EU countries because it provides protection for their brand across all of those countries. This means that if someone else tries to use a similar trademark in any of those countries, the business can take legal action to stop them.