Trade Marks

Bullet-proof logos: creating great designs which avoid legal problems
Marks of excellence: the history and taxonomy of trademarks

Title: Bullet-proof logos: creating great designs which avoid legal problems
Author: Carter, David E
Publication Details:
New York, NY : HBI, 1999.
Description:
Designer's worst nightmare: you get a phone call from a once-happy client who is now shouting into the phone, "We are being sued! The logo you designed infringes on the design of another company! The letter from their lawyer says 'cease and desist immediately.' They want us to take down the signs, destroy all letterheads, and anything that has the logo!" This scenario is enough to bring otherwise strong-willed designers into a cold sweat. Lawsuits and court battles over logo design weren't what we had in mind when we became graphic designers. The purpose of this book is to help you do both, create great logos while knowing when (and why) to take certain creative approaches that avoid problems.

Title: Marks of excellence: the history and taxonomy of trademarks
Author: Mollerup, Per
Publication Details:
London : Phaidon, 1998 (1999 [printing])
Description:
This book presents a thorough exploration of the trademark: its history, development, style, classification and relevance in today's world. A brief history is given of the origins of the trademark in heraldry, monograms, owner's marks and certificates of origin. The next chapters form a study of corporate identity and communication design with an emphasis on sign theory. The core of this book is a comprehensive taxonomy of trademarks, covering name marks, abbreviations and all kinds of picture marks. Also included is an alphabetical index of trademark themes: an illustrated selection of examples which feature some of the world's best trademarks - the marks of excellence from which this book takes its name. The final section of the book covers the development of trademarks over time and across the boundaries of language and space.