Research Commercialization Academy (BETA 0.01)

Could you explain a little more, how do you use trade dress to protect look and feel? Do you simply write your company name on the product somewhere?

You can potentially obtain "trademark" protection (subject to all the legal requirements for trademark protection such as distinctiveness, ability to identify source, etc.) for your company's name by putting the name on a product. However, this will not give the product trade dress protection.

Trade dress protection requires something different. Trade dress goes to the overall distinctiveness of the non-functional elements of a product's design in addition to the other legal trademark requirements. One way to think about it, trade dress protection goes to the overall look and feel of a product (or potentially a service) if such look and feel are indicators that you are the source of such product. Think shape, size, color, combinations of the same, etc.

I agree with Kris--- I hope this helps from the USPTO.

www.licensinglaw.net/files/Patent_Filing...s_AIPLA_QJ_Paper.pdf

This may also be helpful.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade_dress