Registered trademark symbol facts for kids

The registered trademark symbol (®) is a special mark. It tells everyone that the word or design before it is a trademark. This trademark has been officially registered with a government office. A trademark is like a unique sign for a company or product. It could be a word, a symbol, or even a phrase.

In some countries, it is against the law to use the ® symbol if your trademark is not officially registered.

If a trademark is not yet registered, you might see the trademark symbol (™). For services that are not registered, people use the service mark symbol (℠). You should always place these symbols right after the word or design they belong to. They are often shown a little bit higher than the text, like a superscript. But this is not a strict rule.

Understanding the Registered Trademark Symbol

The ® symbol means a trademark is officially protected. This protection comes from a national trademark office. It helps stop other companies from using the same or a very similar mark. This way, customers know exactly whose product they are buying.

What is a Trademark?

A trademark is a special sign that helps people recognize a company or its products. Think of a famous brand name or a unique logo. These are often trademarks. They make sure customers can tell one company's goods or services apart from another's.

Why Use the ® Symbol?

Using the ® symbol shows that your trademark is legally registered. This gives the owner special rights. It means they have exclusive control over that mark. It also warns others not to copy it. This protection is very important for businesses.

Other Important Symbols

Besides the ® symbol, there are two other common marks:

• The trademark symbol (™) is used for trademarks that are not yet registered. Companies use it to show they claim a mark as their own.
• The service mark symbol (℠) is similar to ™. But it is used for services, not products. For example, a cleaning service might use ℠.

How to Use the ® Symbol

The ® symbol should always go right after the trademark it refers to. For example, if "SuperClean" is a registered trademark, you would write "SuperClean®". It is usually placed in a smaller size and slightly above the text. This makes it easy to see but not distracting.

History of the ® Symbol

In the United States, the ® symbol became official with the Lanham Act. This law was passed in 1946. It helped set up clear rules for trademarks. This made it easier for businesses to protect their brand names.

Using Alternatives to ®

Sometimes, the ® symbol is not easy to type. This was especially true for old typewriters. So, people often use (R) or (r) instead. For example, the rules for the Python programming language suggest using (R).

There are also legal phrases you can use. In the U.S., you might see "Registered, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office." This can be shortened to "Reg U.S. Pat & TM Off." In the United Kingdom, people sometimes use "RTM." These phrases mean the same thing as the ® symbol.

Symbols Like ®

There are other symbols that protect different kinds of creations:

• The copyright symbol (©) protects original works. This includes books, music, and art. It means someone owns the rights to that creative work.
• The sound recording copyright symbol (℗) is for sound recordings. It protects the specific recording of music or speech.