Lesson 5 of 7
Strong names and weak names
Not every name can be protected. Trademark law ranks names from weakest to strongest:
- Generic — the common name for the thing ("Bakery" for a bakery). Can never be a trademark.
- Descriptive — describes what you do ("Fast Plumbing"). Hard to register until it becomes well known.
- Suggestive — hints at what you do and makes people think ("Coppertone"). Good protection.
- Arbitrary — a real word with no connection to what you sell ("Apple" for computers). Strong.
- Fanciful — a made-up word ("Kodak"). Strongest of all.
The more a name describes what you do, the harder it is to own. Aim for suggestive or stronger.