Adding a registered trademark sign to a logo

Businesses can either use the ® symbol or the ™ symbol to indicate the trademark status of their brand. Read on to learn more about adding the registered trademark symbol – ® – or the trademark symbol – ™ – when you trademark your logo.

When can I add the registered trademark ® symbol to my logo?

The ® symbol stands for “registered trademark”. Very simply, you must have a trademark registration for your brand name or logo before you can use this symbol. Even if you have successfully registered a trademark, there are some restrictions governing use of the ® symbol:

1. You may only use the registered trademark symbol ® for the goods and services covered by your trademark registration.

For example, imagine you have registered a trademark for the MATCHABLE logo covering candles. You later expand your product range to include soaps and gift cards, but you don’t have registered trademark protection for those additional products. You shouldn’t use the ® symbol for the soaps and gift cards, until you’ve got a trademark registration covering those goods.

The good news is that you can use the ™ symbol across your entire range of products, as this symbol can be used for both unregistered and registered trademarks.

2. You may not use the ® symbol in countries where the mark is not yet registered.

Continuing with our example, if you decide to expand your MATCHABLE candle business to an overseas country, you shouldn’t use the ® symbol in that country until you have registered your trademark there.

If you’re using your brand in countries where you don’t yet have trademark protection, you can use the ™ symbol, both at home and abroad. The ™ symbol is appropriate whether your trademark is registered or unregistered (it just doesn’t have quite the same weight as the ® symbol).

How to type the ® symbol

To create ®, type (R) and then hit space or enter.

Alternatively, on a keyboard, hold down the ALT key and type 0174.

How to type the ™ symbol?

To create ™, type the letters TM and then hit space or enter.

Alternatively, on a keyboard, hold down the ALT key and type 0153.

How to add the registered trademark symbol to a logo

When adding the registered trademark symbol to your logo, it should be placed on the right-hand side, either as a superscript or as a subscript as shown by the famous trademark examples below:

Can I use the unregistered trademark ™ symbol with my brand and logo?

Yes! The ™ symbol signifies an unregistered trademark. Even if you don’t have a registered trademark, you may use the ™ symbol with your brand and logo. Many businesses use the ™ symbol while their trademark applications are being processed or in countries where they don’t yet have a registered trademark.

Using the superscript ™ symbol signals to the market that your brand is a trademark of your business. The ™ symbol may also act as a deterrent and keep other traders from using the same or a similar brand.

How to add the ™ symbol to a logo

As with the registered trademark symbol ®, the ™ trademark symbol should be placed on the right-hand side of your logo, either at the top as a superscript or at the bottom. Here are examples of two logos that both use the trademark symbol ™.