January 2, 1975: Trademarks Get Their Due
On January 2, 1975, the name Patent Office was changed to the Patent and Trademark Office to reflect the agency’s longstanding role of issuing trademark registrations. The name was changed again to the United States Patent and Trademark Office in 2000.
Today, trademarks are ever-increasing in value as an important form of intellectual property protection. According to the USPTO’s annual report for fiscal year 2021, trademark application filings for all classes surpassed 943,000, a record high.
A trademark is defined as a word, phrase, symbol, design or a combination of these that is used to identify the source of the goods or services of one party and distinguish them from the good and services of other parties. Trademark rights may be used to prevent others from using a confusingly similar mark, but not to prevent others from making the same goods or from selling the same goods or services under a clearly different mark.
Trademarks that are used in interstate or foreign commerce may be registered with the USPTO. They allow owners to establish brand recognition and to enforce legal rights in their mark to guard against infringement.
