"Brand," brand name" and "trademark" are often used interchangeably, but they are not synonyms. "Brand" refers broadly to a customer's entire experience with a company, not just their "brand name" or logo.
"Brand name" is the non-legal term for a lingual trademark. Even "brand name" and "trademark are not synonymous, since a trademark may also be a sound, a color or product packaging, etc, Thus, even though a brand name is always a trademark, a trademark is not always a brand name.
Brands have no legally protectable rights in themselves. Trademark law protects brand in various ways, but so too can copyright laws, defamation laws and contract laws. Specifically, copyright law protects a company's designs and creative works that contribute to a company's image and thus reputation; defamation laws directly protect the reputation of the company by stopping false and misleading statements; and contacts can control behaviors and statements of employees, contractors, vendors, and customers in ways that create and support a positive association with a company.
Thus, when looking how to increase brand value of a company, one should not forget to discuss the many legal strategies available with a legal advisor.
