What is the difference between patents amp; trademarks? -

I have ideas for pet products for cats and dogs. I want to create my own line like Zanies, Chrome Bones, Kong, etc. Can I trademark my product line name and market my product ideas under that or would I have to patent my product line name and/or each individual product and market it that way? And how would I need to do each or one of the two? I would love to have my stuff be as recognizable as Zanies. But I ve tried to look up their website but I couldn t find one. Are they a company or did someone pitch their product line to someone and go that way? If so, how can I do that? And I have a cat toy idea that I think will be the next big cat toy and will win cats over. Should I have a prototype made up of it before pitching my line to someone and if so, where can I get the funding to make the toy? I have no credit and I m unemployed.

To protect an original invention OR a significant improvement to an existing product, a patent would be filed. Here s the USPTO s definition: http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/doc�� To protect a business name within your industry, you would apply for a trademark.Trademarks can be names of products or services, logos, slogans, packaging and even sounds and smells. In essence, a trademark can be almost anything that is used to identify a particular product or service. Registering a trademark grants the owner exclusive rights to the mark within the specified industry. Of course, it s necessary to research the mark comprehensively prior to filing to ensure that there is no possibility of infringing upon another party. This entails searching the pending registered Federal and State trademark files as well as the US National Common-Law files. Then, if clear, you can decide if you would like to file for a Federal or a State trademark. To register a trademark, that s done either through your Secretary of State for a State trademark or the US Patent Trademark Office for a Federal trademark. If you are only conducting business in one state, then a State trademark is most appropriate. If you conduct (OR are planning to conduct) business in at least 2 states OR between the US any other country, you can file for a Federal trademark.Hope that helps! I wish you much success happiness in all your ventures!