You can make changes to your mark so that it expresses your brand’s personality and make sure, at the same time, that it doesn’t infringe with your competitors’ marks”. “Even though you have found a logo similar to what you have in mind, this doesn’t mean that you should abandon the idea completely. You can search in the Trademark Electronic Search System and protect yourself from any claims coming from a company which already uses your logo. In case someone else is already using a mark, you cannot use it as you risk getting in trouble with the law.
On top of that, when you decide to put this sign next to your logo, you should first do detailed research. However, it doesn’t offer any legal protection unless you register it with USPTO. What is more, it offers you the advantage of keeping your competitors away from using your idea in their logos. This sign is usually used next to a phrase or logo, showing the company’s intention to register it with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. If a logo with the ® shows that the trademark was registered correctly with the authorities, the ™ sign doesn’t have any legal meaning, and you can use it even though you didn’t register it. What is more, this behaviour can be considered as a sign of misleading advertising.Įven though many people think that they can use either ™ or the registered symbol sign, this is wrong. However, if you have registered it and you don’t use it, you will enter under the suspicion of unfair competition. Moreover, if you use this symbol in the UK and you haven’t registered it anywhere in this world, then you will have to face the consequences coming from the infringement of the trademark law.įrance: there is no direct legal significance if you add this symbol next to your trademark. You can add this indication next to your logo only if you registered it outside of the United Kingdom. Thus, it is a clear sign that your trademark is registered correctly. United Kingdom: this symbol is defined as the abbreviation from Registered Trade Mark. If you don’t use it, you might lose your rights that derive from a registered trademark.įor instance, if a competitor uses the same logo, but you haven’t used the ® symbol next to your trademark, then you might not be able to ask for profit recovery or damages once you discover it.
United States of America: once you have registered your trademark, it is essential to use it.
#WHEN TO USE THE TR VS R TRADEMARK SYMBOL REGISTRATION#
Using this sign without actually doing the registration can have severe consequences for your company, as it is illegal.ĭepending on the country where you want to register your trademark, it should be used in various ways: However, this sign should be used only if you have really registered your trademark. This sign should be placed on the right side of your logo and should be smaller than the logo itself. Companies add this symbol next to their logo to show that they have registered their trademark with the authorities.