A three-dimensional mark is a three-dimensional sign that is, for example, affixed to a product (e.g. the Mercedes star on a car). It is also possible to protect a product itself or its packaging as a three-dimensional trade mark, as long as the shape is distinctive in its design. However, in general, shapes are only registered as trade marks in exceptional cases. Today, shapes are primarily protected as designs.

Example: Toblerone

Short melodies, jingles or advertising tunes can be protected as acoustic marks.
Jingles are registered in the form of musical notation, and not as audio files.

Example: acoustic mark of the Federation of Migros Cooperatives

A position mark consists of a word or figure which always appears in the same proportion and position on a product.

Example: position mark of Vans

It is characterised by the same V-shaped stripe which always appears in the same position on the shoes.

A colour mark consists exclusively of a colour or a colour combination.
It is therefore the colour itself that is protected as a trade mark. The colour must be given in an internationally recognised colour standard (e.g. Pantone, RAL or NCS).

Colours belong to the public domain, and so generally cannot be protected as a trade mark. Exceptions to this are colours that have come to be accepted as being distinctive and have acquired the character of a trade mark through everyday use (known as trade marks with acquired distinctiveness).

Example: the yellow of Swiss Post Ltd (RAL 1004, Pantone 116 C/109 U)

A motion mark consists of words or figurative elements that move.
When the trade mark is filed, the individual stages of the movement are represented graphically and the chronology of the images is described precisely.

Example: the Swisscom Ltd motion trade mark

“The object depicted rotates continuously in an anti-clockwise direction around a central, vertical axis. After seven seconds, the movement comes to a close.”

(Translated from the published description of the motion sequence)