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SECONDARY MEANING

TheLaw.com Law Dictionary & Black's Law Dictionary 2nd Ed.

A trademark law term which means a mark that is not inherently distinctive (for example it is descriptive of something, like Hot and Tasty as opposed to being a unique word) and it becomes protected after developing a secondary meaning as a result of a great amount of exposure in the general public and usage in the marketplace. For example, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream are common names but are now nationally recognized as a brand of ice cream.

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