Legal Definitions - registered trademark

A registered trademark is a word, phrase, logo, or symbol used by a company to distinguish its products or services from those of others. The main purpose of a trademark is to indicate the source of goods or services. To receive federal protection, a trademark must be distinctive, affixed to a product that is actually sold in the marketplace, and registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

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

Registered trademarks are protected under federal law and are distinguished with the symbol "®".