A golf ball that produces a loud screeching sound when hit is named the Screech Golf Ball and is an example of what type of trademark?

• A. Fanciful mark
• B. Suggestive mark
• C. Descriptive mark
• D. Arbitrary mark

Answer: (C)

Descriptive marks directly describe a product’s characteristic or quality. Naming a golf ball Screech Golf Ball communicates a real feature of the product—the ball’s screeching sound when struck. That direct reference to the audible attribute means the mark conveys information about the product itself without requiring imagination to connect the term to the product. It’s not an invented or unrelated term (fanciful or arbitrary), and it doesn’t rely on a mental leap to link the word to the product (that would be suggestive). Note that descriptive marks often need to acquire distinctiveness through use to be registrable, but as a type, it directly describes a feature of the goods.