While pictures of the Eiffel Tower by day are in the public domain, the lighting is not. So, don't try to sell photos without seeking permission first.
The retired sprinter has copyrighted both his name and his signature move, the "lightning bolt."
The two rapid consecutive notes in the 'Law and Order' opening theme are protected under copyright owned by NBC.
The specific orange background color on the packaging of Reese's Pieces is a registered trademark.
The term "baggies" is not just a generic word to describe plastic food bags, but a registered trademark of the Pactiv Corporation.
Boxing announcer Michael Buffer trademarked his phrase "Let's get ready to rumble!" back in 1992, and has made hundreds of millions of dollars from it ever since.
The word "face" is copyrighted and owned by Facebook, but only in the context of social media platforms.
The magenta that T-Mobile use on their storefronts has been claimed as their trademark color, and they have sent cease and desist letters to other companies for using it.
Lucasfilm have actually copyrighted Darth Vader's inhaling and exhaling from the 'Star Wars' movie franchise.
Clearly the popular video game is owned by Nintendo. Well, so is the phrase "It's on like Donkey Kong."
The shade of brown on the UPS logo is officially known as "Pullman brown." This color is trademarked by the delivery company.
The word "superhero" is trademarked. Even more strangely, it is co-owned by rivals Marvel and DC Universe.
This iPhone feature is an Apple patent. They sued Samsung for in excess of US$ 100 million for having a similar function, and won!
The sound that emanates from an iPhone when it is turned on is also trademarked by Apple.
A real estate agent is often referred to as a "realtor." However, this is a term that is trademarked by the National Association of Realtors, and to use the title you have to be a member.
The sound of a Zippo lighter being clicked was trademarked in 2018 due to it being perceived by the company as a unique sound to their products.
The word "onesie" isn't a generic word for baby's attire. It is trademarked, owned by the Gerber Childrenswear Company.
The blue color of a Tiffany & Co. gift box is legally trademarked and owned by the company.
The blue turf on the Boise State football stadium is unique to the team, and they have a trademark for it.
The game of table tennis isn't trademarked. The game of ping-pong, however, is trademarked by Parker Brothers, even though the rules are identical.
The stationery company 3M owns the specific shade of yellow that is used for their Post-It notes.
While the trademark has now expired, the term "dry ice" belonged to the Dry Ice Corporation of America for over 60 years.
Not only is the world's most famous doll's name trademarked, the specific shade of pink associated with Barbie is as well.
The NBA superstar owns his signature phrase, "Just a kid from Akron."
The word "Bam!" was trademarked by Emeril Lagasse, at least when it is used in association with selling cooking supplies.
Not only did the TV star trademark his name, he also trademarked the phrase "flavor town."
The New York Stock Exchange's iconic bell clang is owned by the NYSE, as are the capitalized phrases "Opening Bell" and "Closing Bell."
The giant electronics company tried to trademark their three headed shaver design, but ultimately did not succeed.
See also: Massively successful companies that started from nothing.
The hugely successful British track athlete registered his distinctive "Mobot" gesture back in 2012.
The specific shade of purple used by the huge confectionary company is trademarked by them.
With so much in the public domain, it's easy to imagine that copyrights and trademarks are limited to obvious intellectual property, like modern books, music, and movies. However, this is not always the case.
Take a look through the following gallery to discover 30 of the most surprising trademarks out there. Click on.
30 of the most surprising trademarks around
Strange, but true!
LIFESTYLE Fun facts
With so much in the public domain, it's easy to imagine that copyrights and trademarks are limited to obvious intellectual property, like modern books, music, and movies. However, this is not always the case.
Take a look through the following gallery to discover 30 of the most surprising trademarks out there. Click on.