Arbitrary marks include words that have a common meaning, but are used in connection with products that have no relationship to the common meaning. Suggestive marks include marks that suggest the associated product or service, but stop short of describing it. Descriptive marks include marks that merely describe the associated product or service. As a rule, descriptive marks are protectable only after a substantial investment in advertising and promotion causes potential purchasers to recognize the mark. Absent this extraordinary showing, a descriptive mark is practically unprotectable, and the United States Patent and Trademark Office will not register the descriptive mark.
Generic marks are incapable of functioning as trademarks.