Brand and Trademark – The Challenge to Define the Difference

ABSTRACT

The terms "brand" and "trademark" are often used as synonyms. However, they have meanings which do not overlap. This article analyses the semantics and origin of the two terms and tries to shed light on the usage of the two terms. It can be concluded that all trademarks are brands, but not all brands are trademarks. The brand contributes to the identification of the company and to its products or services, while the trademark is intended to prevent competitors from stealing the brand image or from creating similar products or services and thus causing confusion on the market. This work further iterates the evolution of brand into internal branding and its contemporary application.

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