Word combinations can be “compositional” (the meaning of the whole is straightforwardly and transparently derivable from the individual parts) or else “non-compositional” (and not so easily derivable). Chapter 3 discusses the combination WRENCH-ENGAGING SURFACE from a dental patent which has a non-compositional purpose or design component in its meaning (the surface is designed for engagement with a wrench), and this was crucial for a determination of patent infringement or not. The precise meaning of another word combination REHAB FOR BILLY was at the center of a libel suit over whether BILLY was actually in, or going into, rehab.

Word combinations, especially compound nouns, feature regularly in trademark disputes. The basic categories of trademark law are summarized, generic, descriptive, suggestive, arbitrary, and fanciful terms. The chapter then exemplifies genericness with APP STORE and gives semantic, grammatical, and corpus evidence for making this classification. It cannot be a trademark. HALF PRICE BOOKS is argued to be a descriptive term, not a generic one, and can be trademarked as long as “secondary meaning” is proven, whereby it also refers to a particular company.