Trademark types: word mark, figurative, or combined

A Tashkent fintech startup commissioned a beautiful logo from a designer — the brand name set in a custom typeface, a graphic symbol beside it, the whole thing in three corporate colours — and registered it as a trademark in exactly the form the designer delivered. A year later the company had grown, hired a new art director, and rebranded: same brand, new typeface, new symbol, different palette. That is when they discovered the certificate protected an old picture that no longer appeared anywhere on their site, while the name itself — the one thing that had never changed — was not registered as a standalone mark. As the lawyers sorted it out, a competitor filed an application for that same word in plain characters. The whole episode comes down to one unlearned lesson: the type of mark decides what you actually protected. And "register the logo as-is" is the most common, most expensive default there is.

Three mark types — and what each one really protects

The Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On Trademarks, Service Marks and Appellations of Origin" treats word, figurative, three-dimensional and other designations, as well as their combinations, as trademarks. In practice, 95% of business filings fall into three types — and the difference between them is legal, not cosmetic.

A word mark is a word, set of words, or alphanumeric designation filed in standard characters, with no tie to any specific graphic. By registering a name as a word mark you protect the word itself — as a string of letters, as a sound, as a meaning. No one may use that name for your goods, in your font or anyone else's, in capitals or lower case. This is the broadest protection available for the verbal part of a brand.

A figurative mark is a graphic with no words: a symbol, an emblem, an abstract shape, a stylised drawing. It protects the picture, not the name. The textbook example is a sportswear "swoosh" or a bitten apple — the mark is recognised without a single letter. If your logo works without its caption, a figurative mark on the graphic is worth having.

A combined mark is word and image filed together as a single whole: the name in its house lettering, plus the symbol, plus — very often — specific colours. And here is the trap this article exists for: a combined mark protects that exact lockup, in that exact form. Not the name on its own, not the symbol on its own — their joint composition.

The three-dimensional mark stands apart: it is the shape of the product or its packaging — a faceted bottle, the silhouette of a flask, the form of a chocolate bar. Registering a shape as a mark is hard: it must be distinctive and must not be dictated by function alone. We will return to 3D marks, but for most businesses the real choice is among the first three.

Why the combined mark is the most expensive default

The owner's logic is understandable: "I already have a finished, attractive logo — I'll register that." The designer handed over the lockup whole — name, symbol, colours — and it feels natural to protect exactly what you see. But a combined mark carries three built-in weaknesses, and each one surfaces at the worst possible moment.

First, protection is tied to the composition. The scope of rights in a combined mark is the entire lockup as one designation. A competitor who takes only your name and sets it in a different font, without your symbol and in other colours, is formally using a different designation, not your mark. You will have to prove likelihood of confusion separately, and it will not be cheap — whereas a word mark would have closed that argument with one line of the certificate.

Second, a rebrand wipes out the picture. A logo lives three to five years; a name lives for decades. The moment you change the typeface, redraw the symbol, or refresh the palette, your combined mark starts protecting a design you no longer use. And an unused mark becomes vulnerable to early termination after three years. How to redesign without erasing your rights is covered in detail in our piece on rebranding and your trademark.

Third, a weak element drags the whole mark down. Examination assesses the distinctiveness of the dominant element. If the name is descriptive and the graphic is simple, the combined mark may register "as a whole" — but the protection of the verbal part will be thin: a court will say the graphic is what distinguishes the sign and the word is free for everyone. The protection of the name, the very thing the exercise was for, is then effectively absent. Where descriptiveness begins is mapped out in our analysis of refusal for a descriptive mark.

The upshot: a combined mark is not "two in one for the price of one." It is "the frame is protected, not the hero inside it." And the bill arrives precisely when you need to stop a copy of your name.

The word mark is almost always the priority

If the budget allows one application, in the overwhelming majority of cases it should be a word mark. The reason is simple: the name is the longest-lived and most-copied asset a brand has. It is spoken in advertising, typed into search, written in reviews, and faked on marketplaces. The logo changes, the domain may change, but the word people know you by stays put.

A word mark in standard characters gives you the most flexible protection: you have secured the word as such, and you remain free to use it in real life however you like — in any lettering, any colour, with any symbol beside it. The certificate does not dictate your design; it locks down the name. That is why large brands always keep a word mark at the core of the portfolio and register the graphics separately, as an add-on.

There is exactly one exception where a word mark won't save you: the name is not protectable on its own — descriptive, generic, or laudatory ("Fast Delivery," "Eco," "Premium"). You cannot register such a word as a standalone mark; distinctiveness has to be found in the graphic, and the road then leads to a figurative or combined mark. But that is a forced detour, not the norm — and it is worth knowing before you name the company, not after.

When you actually need a figurative or 3D mark

The word mark is the foundation, but not always sufficient. A figurative mark on the graphic earns its place when the symbol stands on its own: an app icon in the store, an emblem on a seamless packaging pattern, a favicon, a map pin — anything recognised without a caption. If your symbol has taken on a life of its own and gets copied apart from the name, registering it as its own mark makes sense.

A mature portfolio often looks like this: a word mark on the name (the foundation), plus a figurative mark on the key symbol (if it is self-standing). The combined mark is then either unnecessary or added as a third — a supporting argument in a dispute, not the sole line of defence.

The 3D mark is a harder, separate story. The shape of a product or its packaging is registered when the form itself signals the source: the silhouette of a bottle recognised without its label. The bar is high: the form must not be dictated by function alone and must genuinely distinguish the product on the shelf, which usually demands evidence of acquired distinctiveness. Often the form is better protected as an industrial design — there it is the appearance of the article that is protected, and the threshold is lower. Choosing between a 3D mark and a design depends on what you are protecting: a pointer to the source, or the design itself.

Colour: file in black-and-white or in colour

A subtle point on which even experienced applicants lose protection. If the application does not claim colour as a protected feature, the mark is protected in any colour rendering — you may show it blue or red, and protection works across every variant. The moment you claim a specific colour combination as part of the mark, you narrow protection to those colours: a competitor in a different palette is already a step further from confusion.

The practical takeaway: unless colour is the essence of the brand (as a signature shade is for certain famous marks), word and figurative marks are better filed without a colour tie — it is broader. You fix a specific palette only when colour itself carries the recognition and you are prepared to defend it as a standalone feature.

How to choose — a short decision tree

1. Is the name the brand's main asset? Almost always yes. Then the first mark is a word mark, in standard characters, with no colour tie. This is the foundation.
2. Is the symbol recognised without the name and used separately? If yes, add a figurative mark on the graphic. If no, don't spend on it yet.
3. Do you want to protect exactly the current logo as a whole? You can — but only in addition to the word mark, never instead of it. And remember the lifespan of a design.
4. Is the name descriptive and unregistrable on its own? Then distinctiveness is sought in the graphic — the combined-mark route, but with a clear understanding: you are protecting the picture, not the word. Better to rethink the name before you file.
5. Are you protecting the shape of a product or its packaging? Compare a 3D mark with an industrial design — for the look of an article, a design is usually simpler and cheaper.

Either way, search the designation against the register before filing — the verbal part and the graphic separately. How to do that yourself is set out in the guide to searching a mark before filing.

In brief

• The mark type decides what you protected: the word, the picture, or their lockup.
• A word mark protects the name in any font and colour — the broadest protection.
• A combined mark protects only the specific composition and dies on a rebrand.
• A figurative mark is for when the symbol is recognised without the name.
• A 3D mark on a product shape is hard to get — an industrial design is often better.
• With no claimed colour the mark is protected in any palette; specific colours narrow it.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a word mark and a combined mark, in plain terms? A word mark protects the name itself, regardless of the font or colour it is written in. A combined mark protects a specific composition of name, symbol and — often — colours, in exactly the form filed. Change the design and the combined mark protects something you no longer use, while the word mark keeps working.

Which should I file first if I can afford one application? Almost always the word mark on the name. It is the longest-lived and most-copied asset: the logo changes, but the name you are known by stays. The exception is a descriptive name that cannot be registered alone — then distinctiveness has to be found in the graphic.

If I registered a combined mark, is the name protected separately? Not in full. The scope of rights is tied to the whole composition. A competitor who takes only your word in different styling is formally using a different designation, and you will have to prove similarity separately. A standalone word mark removes that fight.

Do I need to register the logo in colour? If colour is not the essence of the brand, no. A mark with no claimed colour is protected in any colour rendering, which is broader. You fix a specific palette only when colour carries the recognition and you are ready to defend it as a standalone feature.

Can I file a word mark and a figurative mark in one application? No — they are two different designations, so two separate applications and two state fees. The payoff is a flexible portfolio: the word is protected apart from the graphic, and redesigning one does not touch the other.

How much does each extra application cost? The state fee is charged per application and per NICE class — roughly 2 to 5 base calculation units per class. The exact amount is set by a Cabinet of Ministers resolution and revised periodically, so calculate against the current base unit on the filing date. Two marks mean two fees, but also two independent lines of defence.

How do I protect the shape of a bottle or packaging? Two routes: a 3D trademark or an industrial design. A 3D mark is hard to obtain — the form must signal the source on its own, which takes evidence. An industrial design protects the look of the article and is usually simpler; the choice depends on what you are protecting — a pointer to the brand, or the design itself.

What if the name is already in use but not yet registered? Search it against the register and file as early as possible — the word mark first. In Uzbekistan rights arise from registration, not from use, and whoever files first takes priority. Delay is an open door for a competitor to file for your own name.

The mark type is not a technical box on a form — it is a decision about what, exactly, you are placing under protection. Registering the whole pretty logo feels satisfying, but it protects the frame, not the hero: the design will change, and it is the name that gets copied. Build the portfolio from the word out — first a word mark on the name, then the graphic separately, and only then the lockup, if it is needed at all. We handle choosing the mark type and preparing the application end to end, and we always start with one question: what in your brand will outlive the next redesign.