How do you use the ™ or ® symbol on your trade mark?
Author: Ian Aldridge, Progressive Legal
So how do you use the ™ or ® symbol on your trade marks? Many business owners ask us this question. On this trade mark FAQ page we provide you with the answer.
You might notice a difference with how big brands use the TM or R symbols at the end of their trade marks. E.g. BRAND NAME ™ or COMPANY®.
How do you use the TM Symbol?
You can use the ™ symbol when you want to identify to the market that this is your brand, this is your logo, this is your tag-line to make sure that everyone knows that you are serious about it and are willing to protect it. You can use the ™ symbol on your brand material if you have not filed a trade mark application or you have a pending trade mark but it is not essential and it gives you no legal rights.
How do you use the R Symbol?
Once you have a registered trade mark it is strongly recommended that you mark your brand and any products with the®symbol. This puts others on notice to respect your trade mark. It is illegal to use the®symbol before your trade mark is registered. You should only use the®symbol when you have registered rights in the trade mark. Most businesses will use the ™ symbol all the way up to final registration of their mark and then once it is registered, then change the symbol at the end to®.
You can use the Copyright symbol © on your literary work, website, publications etc without registering the work as you have inherent copyright in your words. Best practice is to identify eg “Copyright © 2019 – Progressive Legal Pty Ltd. All rights reserved.”
How do you type a TM symbol?
If you want to use the trademark symbol, the easiest way to do this is:
Windows-based computer
Hold down the Ctrl+Alt+T keys.
Macintosh computer
Hold down the “Option” key and press “2”
How do you type an R symbol?
If you have a registered trade mark, it’s advisable to add the Registered Trade Mark Symbol to your branding.
The easiest way to do this is:
Windows-based computer
Hold down the “Alt” key and type 0174. This will create ®
Macintosh computer
Hold down the “Option” key and press “R”
Video: How to use your trade mark to identify your brand
“Most businesses will use the ™ symbol all the way up to final registration of their mark and then once it is registered, then change the symbol at the end to®.”
“Ian and his team helped me sort out a trade mark in an efficient, uncomplicated fashion.”
Lisa Burling, LBPR
