What is a Service Mark?

Answer:
A service mark is the name or symbol that identifies

the services offered by a particular business, and distinguishes them from similar services provided by other organizations.

The phrases service mark and trademark are often used interchangeably. These labels are very similar, but there is one very important distinction. Trademarks apply to products, and service marks apply to services.

The types of business likely to have service marks include: hotels, restaurants, advertising agencies, travel advisors, consulting firms, and other non-commodity businesses.

It is advisable for businesses to register their service marks with the US Patent and Trademark Office. Before a service mark is registered, the proper way to denote it is with the symbol SM. Following registration, the proper symbol for a service mark is ®.