–Catlan McCurdy, Attorney

Bored one evening in college and watching re-runs of Seinfeld, a friend and I devised what we thought to be a pretty ingenious game. Be the first to correctly guess the brand behind the commercial and ye shall be declared the winner. Loser drinks.  Before you start judging, just remember that as freshman we didn’t have access to wonders like TiVo, Hulu, or On Demand, and we didn’t have the option to skip commercials. Just a tube television and local cable.

Well now it seems that a game quite similar to the one we played years ago has blown up the app scene. It’s called Logo Quiz.  Created by 27 year-old Javier Perez Estarriaga , the Logo Quiz is “a quiz game full of fun that consists of guessing the names of hundreds of logos from different companies.” The composite marks are presented without the textual components and players guess the brand based solely on the design component.

The game demonstrates what many of us already know –  that some companies can rely solely on their logos.  Business Insider points out two  companies that have always strongly relied on their design marks – Nike and Apple. But now other companies are following suit – Starbucks recently abandoned its text in favor of only the siren – and Business Insider aptly writes that relying on only a design mark has an added advantage of non-English reader recognition.

Many clients starting new businesses choose the name of their company before even making a business plan. They become emotionally attached to the name, envisioning all the great things they and Company X will do together – make a boatload of money, retire early, buy a Vespa and ride down Route 66. But by the time they talk to an attorney, they come to find out that, woops, that trademark is already taken. Registering and relying on a design mark may be an alternative. A logo can help you distinguish yourself just as clearly as words, and years down the road, your design of a smiling man with a mustache may be the most recognizable part of your mark after all.

I recommend trying the game and seeing how you fare. But if you want to cut to the chase and see some quick demos, the answers can all be found here.