From the above, it follows that the most popular forms of trademarks are the verbal form, the verbal-graphic form, and, less frequently, the purely graphic form. Less popular forms also include three-dimensional marks and unconventional marks, which include, among others, moving, sound, color, and scent marks, as well as those that can be represented in graphic form in any way.
Due to the nature of these unconventional marks, it is difficult to develop a clear definition for them; however, considering their type, it is undeniable that the challenge for the applicants is to demonstrate that a given mark (designation) meets the requirements for trademarks as stipulated by the law. Regardless of the difficulties in registering unconventional marks, it is worth mentioning examples that have successfully obtained protection.
An interesting category is undoubtedly the spatial and positional signs, including the interior design of the Orbis restaurant, the appearance and display of goods in the Apple store, or the appearance of gas stations (Orlen and BP). Another type of unconventional signs are spatial signs that mainly define the shape. Examples include products that almost everyone has encountered, such as the Kit Kat bar, the Coca-Cola bottle, or Lego bricks.
Another category worth mentioning is sound trademarks, moving signs, and animations. A perfect example here is the roaring lion that opens many MGM films, the Google animation, and the Nokia animation that appears to every user when starting their phone. The famous Nokia Tune sound motif can also be included here.
Finally, it is worth mentioning color motifs, which, as a rule, cannot be registered as a trademark due to the lack of distinctiveness. However, it should be emphasized that obtaining protection is possible by combining the color with another graphic element or by using it with a specific product or service. Here, one can undoubtedly point to the classic red-soled Christian Louboutin stilettos, but also to the purple color of Milka, the pink shade of T-Mobile, the brown of UPS, and the famous silver-blue combination of Red Bull.
Regardless of the diversity of the aforementioned trademarks, they perfectly fulfill their role, i.e., the function of indicating origin, thanks to which certain products are associated with a specific brand or manufacturer, and thus stand out from other products of the same type available on the market.
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