Final answer:
The purpose of a trademark is to signify the origin of goods or services, helping consumers distinguish one brand from another and ensuring quality expectations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The purpose of the intellectual property right known as a trademark is to signify the origin of goods or services. This is different from other forms of intellectual property rights, such as patents, which protect inventions, and copyrights, which protect artistic works. The use of a trademark helps consumers identify and distinguish the source of goods or services and assures them of the quality they expect from a particular brand. It also legally prevents others from using a similar mark that could be confusing for consumers and dilutes the value of the original trademark.