A patent for an invention is a grant of property right by the Government to the inventor. In order to be issued a patent, the patentee must file specifications and a detailed description of the invention, sufficient to enable anyone skilled in the art to make use of the invention. These descriptions are later published by the government as patents.
For more information about patents, visit the US Patent and Trademark Office.
A trademark includes any word, name, symbol, or device, or any combination used, or intended to be used, in commerce to identify and distinguish the goods of one manufacturer or seller from goods manufactured or sold by others, and to indicate the source of the goods. In short, a trademark is a brand name.
A service mark is any word, name, symbol, device, or any combination, used, or intended to be used, in commerce, to identify and distinguish the services of one provider from the services provided by others, and to indicate the source of the services. [Source: US Patent and Trademark Office]
For more information about trademarks, visit the US Patent and Trademark Office.