Trade Dress

Trade dress is a form of trademark protection. Where classic trademarks are typically comprised of words and designs and combinations of words and designs, trade dress is concerned with the total image or overall appearance of products and packaging such as sizes, shapes, colors, texture, overall environment, and other thematic elements. Too many people have too little knowledge concerning trade dress. This is unfortunate since trade dress is a powerful form of trademark protection being thoroughly leveraged by IP savvy companies all over the world. Trade dress can provide legal protection on the total image or overall appearance of products and packaging like sizes, shapes, colors, texture, environment, and other thematic elements. Without understanding the whats and whys of trade dress, you’ll be disadvantaged in the marketplace.