When we're talking about trademarks, we're talking about brand-identifying names, logos, designs, colors, etc. Sometimes even sound or smell. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-conventional_trademark ) You have to remember what the purpose of intellectual property law is - in this regard, it's about making the consumer sure that they are buying what they intend to, and protecting the company that produces a product.
Coca Cola didn't waste all the money of designing, trademarking, and defending its name just so it can say "Coca Cola." It doesn't want imitations - and neither do consumers. I don't want red and white soda cans that read "Caca Colo." (or c0ca c0la) The laws are generally based around reasonable confusion to the consumers - if it's likely that I could make a mistake and pick up the wrong soda, it's likely because a competitor has copied the brand name / style in order to effectually "steal" sales from the original.
Imagine if you had a company - named Kieran, for example - and you worked hard to build a strong image and sell a good product. And suddenly, along comes Kleran, in store aisles right next to yours, virtually indistinguishable packaging. Your revenue probably drops, and if Kleran isn't as good a product, so does the public conception of the quality of your product. Sure, you could blame it on the customers - but that doesn't solve anything. It's the fault of the company who ripped you off, even if they did have a different name by one letter and packaging with a slightly different shade of red.
"What's the best gaming laptop for under 1,500 bucks? I had my eye on the P7805u (Gateway), but it seems Best Buy has run out for the time being. Also, as a secondary question, I like the specs on brands such as iBUYPOWER and CyberPower and the like, but are they reliable? I'm a little worried about buying labels that aren't huge like Dell, Gateway, etc. Thanks!"
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