What is a service mark?
For practical purposes, a service mark does the same thing as a trademark — but while trademarks promote products, service marks promote services and events. Some familiar service marks are: Amazon.com (retail website), Jack in the Box (fast food service), Kinko’s (photocopying service), Blockbuster (video rental service), CBS’s stylized eye in a circle (television network service), and the FedEx logo (delivery services).
Any word, name, symbol, or device or any combination thereof adopted and used by a manufacturer or merchant to identify and distinguish their services from those manufactured or sold by others and to indicate the source of the services. For instance, “What’s your passion” is a Service Mark of CafePress.com.
A service mark is a type of trademark. There is a basic difference from a service mark and a trademark. Trademarks help the government and consumers distinguish between the goods and products from different manufacturers. A service mark helps the government and consumers from being able to tell the difference from a service that is provided from one another. The words “trademark”, and “mark” are referred to trademarks and service marks sometimes.
