Trade Dress

Trade dress refers to anything that is designed or used to promote a product or service.

Trade dress. For a service it may be the decor or environment in which a service is provided for example the distinctive decor of the hard rock cafe restaurant chain. Now trade dress is defined as a product s total image or overall appearance and may include features such as size shape color or color combinations texture graphics or even certain sales techniques. Trade dress is the characteristics of the visual appearance of a product or its packaging or even the design of a building that signify the source of the product to consumers.

Trade dress consists of all the various elements that are used to promote a product or service. Trade dress is the commercial look and feel of a product or service that identifies and distinguishes the source of the product or service. Trade dress is a form of intellectual property.

For a product trade dress may be the packaging the attendant displays and even the configuration of the product itself. It includes the various elements such as the design and shape of materials used to package a product or services. This is known as the total image or overall appearance of the product or service.

In addition to a product s physical appearance trade dress may also refer to the manner in which a product is packaged wrapped labeled presented promoted or advertised including the use of distinctive graphics configurations and marketing strategies.