What do TM and Circle R (®) symbols mean? - Patent Trademark Blog | IP Q&A (2024)

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What do TM and Circle R (®) symbols mean? - Patent Trademark Blog | IP Q&A? ›

The TM and SM symbols indicate that your trademark is not yet registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. In contrast, the ® symbol means that your trademark is registered. The ® is only for trademarks that have been federally registered with the U.S. government.

The ® on a product means that it's a registered trademark, meaning the brand name or logo is protected by (officially registered in) the US Patent and Trademark Office, while plain old ™ trademarks have no legal backing. Protections for registered trademarks last for 10 years and can be renewed after that.

The registered trademark symbol, ®, is a typographic symbol that provides notice that the preceding word or symbol is a trademark or service mark that has been registered with a national trademark office.

The R in a circle (®) means it's a registered trademark. So you think it's a trademark and the government agrees. The government agrees that you can use certain laws and certain presumptions embedded in these laws to go after anybody who may want to steal your brand.

TM [™] Symbol

The TM symbol is used when a trademark owner files the trademark registration application with the Registrar of trademarks. The TM symbol indicates that a trademark registration application exists concerning the trademark and serves as a warning for infringers, copycats, duplicators and counter-fitters.

TM symbol meaning. TM stands for trademark. Trademarks are marks used with goods, such as cell phones, clothing, software, and juice. The letters TM mean that a name, word, logo, or phrase is an unregistered trademark, which means that it is not registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

This is usually the small, raised “TM” (shown as ™) or the small, raised “R” in a circle (shown as ®). TM can be used for any trademark whereas R can only be used by federally registered trademarks.

Trademark (™)

The ™ symbol is to be used when claiming rights to a good without a trademark registration. It can offer common law trademark rights to the user of the symbol and is the correct symbol to use in the interim while waiting for your registered trademark application to be approved.

The R (®) symbol on a product indicates that it is a registered trademark. This means that the logo enjoys legal protection as per the Trademarks Act, 1999. Trademark registrations carry a validity of ten years with a possibility for an extension by following the renewal process.

A patent owner often will mark a product with the patent number, “patent”, or the abbreviation “pat” to notify others of their patent rights, but otherwise, there is no particular symbol used to identify a patent.

What is the big R in a circle symbol? ›

For example, in certain jurisdictions, the letter “R” enclosed in a circle (®) is used to denote a registered trademark. This registered trademark symbol may differ from the trademark symbol (™) used for unregistered or pending marks.

Registered Trademark Symbol

The Circle R (®) which means “registered trademark,” is used to show that the mark has been fully registered. For example, Nike has registered their name, the Swoosh logo, and the phrase “Just do it” for, among other things, shoes and sporting goods.

The radius of a circle is the length of the line segment from the center to a point on the circumference of the circle. It is generally abbreviated as 'r'. There can be infinite radii drawn in a circle and the length of all those radii will be the same. It is half of the diameter of the circle.

You do not have to have registered a trademark to use it and many companies will opt to use the TM symbol for new goods or services in advance of and during the application process. The R symbol indicates that this word, phrase, or logo is a registered trademark for the product or service.

To insert the registered trademark symbol, press Ctrl+Alt+R.

TM stands for trademark. The TM symbol (often seen in superscript like this: ^TM) is usually used in connection with an unregistered mark—a term, slogan, logo, or other indicator—to provide notice to potential infringers that rights in the mark are claimed in connection with specific goods or services.

TM stands for trademark. The TM symbol (often seen in superscript like this: ^TM) is usually used in connection with an unregistered mark—a term, slogan, logo, or other indicator—to provide notice to potential infringers that rights in the mark are claimed in connection with specific goods or services.

The trademark symbol ™ is a symbol to indicate that the preceding mark is a trademark, specifically an unregistered trademark. It complements the registered trademark symbol ® which is reserved for trademarks registered with an appropriate government agency.

Be sure not to confuse the registered trademark symbol with the copyright symbol. The latter looks very similar but uses a C instead of an R inside the circle. In some jurisdictions, a circled P (for "phonogram") is used specifically with copyrighted audio.

Copyright protects original work, whereas a trademark protects items that distinguish or identify a particular business from another. Copyright is generated automatically upon the creation of original work, whereas a trademark is established through common use of a mark in the course of business.