Intellectual property is an umbrella terms made up of the following elements: patents, copyrights, and trademarks. What is an intellectual property trademark, you ask? Read on. Trademarks are a way of identifying goods from a certain source, manufacturer, or retailer and differentiating it from competitors through distinctive devices, symbols, logos, names, domain names, images, or words. Trademarks, basically, grant companies the opportunity to separate themselves from other companies by creating a unique brand of their own. The trademark rights that come along with trademarks, allows the owner of the trademark exclusive rights. Unlike patents and copyrights, trademarks do not prevent the reproduction or distribution of similar products. However, a trademark does protect a company's right the images, symbols, words, phrases, or devices that are associated with that company by law. Individuals or companies, who want to register a trademark, can do so with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Trademarks may be registered for at the state level too.