what is the difference in relation to trademarks between the symbols TM and R with a circle around it????

Question

From what I understand you have to register a trademark anyway for it to be valid against another person/company etc. Copyright is usually symbolised by a c with a cirle around it, so please someone help me understand why there are two different symbols for a trademark...

Answer 1

r means registered trademark usually a symbol of a company tm is trademark of some kind of product

Answer 2

I am an attorney who does mostly criminal law but I remember from law school intellectual property that the R with a circle around it means copyright, and the TM means trademark. These are two different kinds of property rights: the TM means this is the symbol you use to identify yourself in trade, (like your company symbol), and this symbol is unique to you, and no one else can use it. This is done to 'reduce consumer confusion' (meaning some other company in the same business as you can't use a symbol that looks like yours to steal your customers).
Copyright means that you have 'fixed your idea in a tangible medium' (written, recorded, photographed), and no one can say that they produced this work.
YOu can put these symbols on works that you create, and that gives you some protection against people stealing your ideas, but in order to 'perfect' your rights you need to register with the trademark or copyright office.
Hope this answers your question, sorry about the lawyer talk! :)

Answer 3

The ™ symbol is to be used for marks that either have a pending trademark application OR for marks that are simply claiming the rights to the mark.

The ® symbol is to be used for marks that have a Federally registered trademark.

Trademarks can be names of products or services, logos, slogans, packaging and even sounds and smells. In essence, a trademark can be almost anything that is used to identify a particular product or service. Registering a trademark grants the owner exclusive rights to the mark within the specified industry. Of course, it's necessary to research the mark comprehensively prior to filing to ensure that there is no possibility of infringing upon another party.

And to be sure to clear this issue up...

The © symbol is used to denote coyright ownership.

Copyrights can be obtained for things of an artistic nature. This includes, of course, poetry, films, sculptures, music, fiction, etc. But can also include things that may not necessarily seem "artistic" in the general sense of the word. Copyrights can also be obtained for advertising copy, games, software programs and blueprints, to name just a few.

Answer 4

TM means trademark
The R one means registered trademark

Chris,
http://newxbox.net/