- Proper Use Of Registered Trademark Symbol
- Placement Of Registered Trademark Symbol
- Registered Trademark Symbol Type
A trademark is a symbol, word, or words legally registered or established by use as representing a company or product. 1 2 In some countries it is against the law to use the registered trademark symbol for a mark that is not officially registered in any country. Use the trademark on the goods or services You must use a registered trademark directly on the goods for which you registered the mark, and/or on the packaging it comes in. For a servicemark – a mark for services, rather than goods – it is acceptable to use the mark in advertising or offering the services.
A trademark a particular name, symbol or word that distinguishes products or services of one manufacturer or seller from that of others. The trademark symbol (™) is shown alongside to indicate that the name, symbol of word is a trademark. In this tutorial we will learn various methods of typing the Trademark Symbol in MS Word, HTML and other computer applications.
Before we learn how to type the trademark symbol, we should first understand where to use it! There are several symbols that are used for asserting rights over a name, logo, product or service. Among these, trademark, registered and copyright symbols are most commonly used.
A trademark is an unregistered name or sign that a business uses to distinguish itself and/or its products. If your trademark is not yet registered with the authorities, you should use the Trademark ™ symbol.
When a trademark gets properly registered, it is called a Registered Trademark. In such a case, the Registered symbol (®) should be used. You must not use the ® symbol unless you get the registration certificate from the authorities.
Intel is the registered trademark of Intel Corporation. In contrast, the word “inside” and “core” are just trademarks.
Copyright symbol (©) is used for asserting rights ownership on intellectual properties like literary work, websites and blogs, movies, music, paintings etc.
If your product or service has a distinctive name or logo, it is advisable that you use the trademark symbol along with it. Use of trademark symbol informs your business competitor that although this name or logo is not yet registered but it is still your property because people connect this name or symbol with your products.
Trademark symbol is composed of the Roman letter T and M, both written together in capital forms. These letters “TM” are super-scripted (or raised) and often placed on the right hand side of the trademark. For example: TechWelkin™.
Trademark logos of various businesses.
In larger documents where the trademark name or logo appears very often, it is also acceptable that you put trademark symbol when on first use only. Another practice in such cases is that an asterisk sign (*) is used along with the first usage of the trademark name or logo. Then a footnote is added giving details of trademark rights.
MS Word is the most often used word processing software. Therefore, it is highly likely that you want to know how you can insert a trademark symbol in MS Word. There are several methods to do this. Let’s take a a look!
Our tips on MS-Word make your life easier and increase your productivity at work.
Method 1: Use Alt+Ctrl Keys
The easiest method of typing the trademark symbol in MS Word is to press the Alt + Ctrl keys and then press T.
Method 2: Use Alt Key on Windows Computers
Press and hold left Alt key and then type 0153 on numeric pad of your keyboard. Now release the Alt key to print trademark symbol. You must type 0153 using numeric pad keys and not using the regular number keys. For this easy method to succeed, make sure:
- that NumLock is on
- that you’re using the left Alt key
Method 3: Alt+x method
In MS Word, when you press Alt and x keys, this action converts the preceding Unicode into corresponding characters. Type 2122 and then press Alt+x . The number 2122 will be replaced by trademark symbol.
Method 4: Insert from Symbols
- Go to Insert and Symbol dropdown.
- Click on More Symbols…
- Symbol box will appear. Locate the trademark symbol and double click it to insert at the current cursor position
Insert trademark symbol from the Symbol box of MS Word.
Method 5: Use AutoCorrect feature of MS Word
MS Word comes pre-configured for automatically correcting (tm) with ™. So, when you type ™ and press space, the trademark sign should appear.
If you’re a Mac user, it is even easier to type trademark symbol. Just press and hold Option key and then press 2.
Proper Use Of Registered Trademark Symbol
Oftentimes you need to type the trademark symbol on webpages and blog posts. The Unicode Consortium has assigned code U+2122 for this.
In case of HTML codes, you need to type ™ or ™ to produce the trademark symbol.
So, this is how you need to use and type the trademark symbol in your documents. I hope you found this information useful. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me in the comments section of this article. Thank you for using TechWelkin.
Avoid “Genericide” and “Mutilation” of Your Marks
Your incorrect use of your marks, or unchecked third party use (including licensee use) of your trademarks, can undermine the source-identifying significance of your trademarks and even result in loss of rights. Do not, and do not allow third parties to, use your trademark as a noun—instead it should be used as an adjective modifying a generic word. There are exceptions where well-known brand owners “get away with” noun usage, e.g., “buy an iPhone” or “buy a Ford” without adding the generic word “device” or “car.” For most brand owners, however, there is risk that noun usage will cause consumers to view the word as indicating a product category as opposed to a product emanating from one specific source. Trademarks can be victims of their own success if not properly managed. When your product or service name is viewed as a generic type of product or technology, you may have lost your trademark rights. Other rules: Don’t allow others to use your mark as a verb, or to combine the mark with other elements to create a hybrid mark that includes your mark.
Why Do Trademark Symbols Exist?
Trademark symbols exist to serve as notice to the public that the mark preceding the symbol is a trademark. Notice may serve to deter others from using the mark, but can also provide evidentiary benefits in any potential infringement suits.[1]
Choosing the Right Symbol – TM, SM, or ®?
| The TM symbol is used for common law marks that represent goods or services that are not federally registered with the USPTO, including marks whose registration is pending. The ™ symbol, and the word “trademark,” is interpreted as broadly covering both product marks and service marks. So the in the case of unregistered marks, the ™ symbol always is correct. | The SM symbol is used for common law trademarks that represent services. This symbol is less common (in part because the designation ™ is broader and more recognized), and should be used in a manner similar to the TM symbol. | The ® symbol is used for marks registered with the USPTO. This symbol can only be used once federal registration is granted (applying for a trademark isn’t enough), and can only be used in connection with goods and services listed in the federal registration. |
| A Note on Registration While you will receive common law protection without federally registering your trademark, registration carries multiple benefits including enhanced rights and evidentiary benefits at trial. You can learn more about registering your trademark at www.uspto.gov. | ||
When Should the Symbols Be Used?
Use of trademark symbols is not actually required by law, but doing so is beneficial. In fact, the ™ and SM symbols do not have any legal significance, but instead are informal ways of telling the world that you are claiming ownership of trademark rights in a word, phrase, and/or logo. The following are some general guidelines for using the trademark symbols.
Placement
The designation should be placed immediately following the mark that is registered. The norm is to place the symbol in superscript in the upper-right-hand corner, or in some cases, in subscript in the lower right-hand corner.
The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc.
Frequency
Use of a trademark symbol in the first prominent mention of a trademark (e.g., in a heading) is more important than repeated use throughout a brochure or web page. The symbol does not have to be used every time the mark is used. Instead, use the symbol in the first instance the mark is used, in the most prominent use of the mark, or both. Repeated use of trademark symbols can become cluttered.
| Print Materials – If the print materials consist of 1–2 pages, designation in the first instance of the mark is sufficient. For longer materials, it is recommended (but not a hard and fast rule) that the designation be used at least once per page in which the mark appears. A good way to achieve this is to place the designation anywhere there is a static representation of the mark that is duplicated on each page, such as in a header or footer. |
Electronic Materials – Use the designation at least once per web page in which the mark is used. Placing the designation in any static representation that is repeated on every page is also a good idea. |
| Social Media – The guidelines for marks appearing on social media can be more relaxed. Most companies only use the designation in their username/bio portion of a social media account, while some companies do not use the designation at all. The majority of companies will not use the designation following their mark in every blog post, status, or tweet, although some may try to do so in an effort to fight against their mark from being considered generic. |
Placement Of Registered Trademark Symbol
The “little blue bird” logo is a registered trademark owned by Twitter Inc.
Third Party Use
When you permit a third party to use your trademarks, it is important to ensure your marks are used with proper designations. It is also important you monitor the licensee’s activities to ensure the quality of the products or services offered under the marks is consistent with the quality of your products or services so the marks do not lose their meaning in the minds of consumers as signaling a certain level of quality (which can result in loss of trademark rights). You should consider providing the third party with guidelines for using the marks (for example, how the marks should appear, when designation should be used, and whether an attribution statement must be made). In the case of licensees, you should also ask them to periodically send you samples of use (e.g., once a year) so you can confirm proper use. Finally, you should include reviews of third-party uses of your marks in the marketplace with an eye to appropriate, non-generic usage as part of your general policing activities.
Staying Updated
It is your responsibility to maintain your mark’s registration with the USPTO. This can be done using the USPTO’s Trademark Electronic Application System. Further, it is your responsibility to police and continue use of your marks. The length of trademark protection is potentially infinite, but failure to continue use of the mark, or failure to stop others from using your marks, without consent and/or improperly may result in a loss of federal protection.
See the following resources for more information:
Basic Facts About Trademarks
U.S. Trademark Law - Federal Statutes
Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure
Registered Trademark Symbol Type
[1] If a plaintiff establishes use of the registered trademark symbol ®, the defendant will be deemed to have constructive notice that the mark is registered without the plaintiff having to prove actual knowledge.