Simple English definitions for legal terms
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A collective mark is a special type of trademark that is used only by members of a group, like a club or organization. It can be a word, symbol, or design that helps people recognize the group's products or services. There are two types of collective marks: one that identifies the group's goods or services, and another that shows someone is a member of the group. For example, the AAA symbol means someone is a member of the American Automobile Association.
A collective mark is a type of trademark used exclusively by members of an association, cooperative, or other collective organization. This mark can be made up of words, names, designs, symbols, or a combination of these elements. It requires an application for registration under the Lanham Act or trademark law.
There are two types of collective marks:
One example of a collective mark is the AAA® mark, which indicates membership in the American Automobile Association. Another example is the Fair Trade Certified™ mark, which is used by members of the Fair Trade USA organization to indicate that their products meet certain ethical and environmental standards.
These examples illustrate how collective marks are used to identify membership in a particular organization or to distinguish the goods and services of members from those of non-members.