Microsoft, which produces software for microcomputers, and Citibank, which renders financial services, are some well-known instances of suggestive marks. Nevertheless, the line between an identifying mark and a suggestive one is difficult to draw. Herculean suggests the steel is strong, without outright describing it as strong. For instance, “Herculean Steel” may be more likely to be registered by the USPTO than “Strong Steel,” but conveys a comparable meaning. Trademark practitioners often call Suggestive marks the “sweet spot ” you still tell your consumers what sort of products you are offering, but not so blatantly as to be denied trademark registration. Suggestive marks, which often hint at the quality or another aspect of the business, are much easier to register. Fledgling companies generally are not well known enough to have attained secondary meaning. An example is International Business Machines or IBM. Generally, descriptive marks are entitled to mark protection, but only if they have gained what has been termed “secondary meaning.” That is to say, the name has become so popular that despite the descriptive nature, the public associates the product with a particular company. For instance, “The Great Big Steel Company” is difficult to register because it merely describes qualities of the company or its products. Steel is a term generically used to describe the products being sold, in this case.ĭescriptive names are also difficult to register with the USPTO. For instance, a company that makes steel and tries to trademark the name “The Steel Company,” for a company that produces steel, will not succeed. Generic names are rarely given protection. In order of least distinctive to most, a mark can be considered “ generic,” “ descriptive,” “ suggestive,” “ arbitrary,” or “ fanciful.” USPTO is more likely to award a trademark application if a name more distinctive. The USPTO classifies marks on a spectrum of distinctiveness. The United State Patent and Trademark Office will not approve just any name that is applied for as a trademark.