A trademark is a word, phrase, symbol or design, or a combination of words, phrases, symbols or designs, that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods of one party from those of others. In other-words, a trademark is made up of distinct shapes, letters, numbers, sounds, smells and/or colors created for the purpose of promoting a product.
A service mark is the same as a trademark, except that it identifies and distinguishes the source of a service rather than a product. Simply stated, a service mark promotes services. Examples of service marks are: McDonald's (food service), FedEx (delivery service), MTV (television network service).