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Trade Dress

trade dress n

: the overall image of a product used in its marketing or sales that is composed of the nonfunctional elements of its design, packaging, or labeling (as colors, package shape, or symbols) NOTE: Trade dress is protected by the Trademark (Lanham) Act of 1946 if it is not a functional part of the product, has acquired secondary meaning, and there is likelihood of confusion as to the source of the product on the part of the consumer if a competing product has a similar trade dress.

Source: Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law ©1996. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. Published under license with Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.

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