Trademark symbols: ™, ® and ℠
Copy one below, or type it with the keys shown. Use ™ for a name you claim; use ® only once the mark is registered.
Trademark
For a name or logo you claim as a mark, registered or not.
™Registered
Only once an office has registered the mark, and only for the goods it is registered for.
®Service mark
The US marking for a name you claim for services, registered or not.
℠When you may use ®
Only after an office has registered the mark, only in the places where it is registered, and only for the goods or services it is registered for. A pending application is not enough: use ™ until the registration issues.
Using ® on a mark that is not registered misrepresents it. In the United States, if done to deceive, it can lead the USPTO to refuse your application and a court to deny you relief. In Israel and some other countries, including Ireland, it is an offence.
When to use ™ and ℠
Any business may put ™ after a name it uses as a brand, to say it claims the name. ℠ is a US convention for services. ™ works for goods and services everywhere, including the United States.
Where it goes
After the mark, usually as a superscript. No law sets how often; many style guides mark the first or most prominent use on a page.
General information, not legal advice.