Yes. I know this because I have a protected trademark (registered trademark) for exactly that reason. A violator could and would be prosecuted for using it without permission. For example, Coca-Cola and Coke are trademark names for a drink. No other company can use these names. Other companies can make a drink that is similar, but they have to use a different name for their drink. " broader example would be calling anything "Coca-Cola" that isn't owned by the Coca-Cola company. No matter what your logotype looked like, a jury would award your hide to the folks that work so hard to publicize their logo. Of course, Coca-Cola has the resources to sue you into oblivion even if you win the case" http://www.asi.org/adb/03/05/logo-trademark-violation.htm “Trademarking is a method of Protecting brand recognition. Most suits over trademark violation involve consideration of whether the infringing conduct resulted in confusion in the marketplace. Confusion can be over origin (such as appropriating the name of a competitor) or misrepresentations regarding nature or quality (like claiming that orange juice is “freshly squeezed”). To prevent dilution of famous marks, however, a suit need not involve confusion. Mere usage of a trademark may be a violation if unauthorized.” http://www.netatty.com/trademark.html