There was an interesting article in a publication called TBO
(Trademarks and Brands Online) entitled
Fluid Trademarks: Keeping Them Watertight. As the
title suggests, it deals with fluid trade marks. But what exactly
are they?
'Fluid trade marks' isn't some obscure way of
describing trade marks that are used for beverages. The term rather
refers to trade marks that vary in use. The article says that
'fluid trademarks are those presented in an unconventional
way...an old logo may be recast in different colours, given some
movement or merged with different images to make it more suited to
the digital world.' The article says that they are
used very effectively by various companies: the owners of the vodka
brand Absolut, whose distinctive bottle is used as a canvas for
various different designs; the UK TV broadcaster Channel 4,
whose '4' logo is deconstructed on screen in a
host of different ways. But the best known example is
undoubtedly the Google logo. Because, as
