Trademarks

[Cinnfhail]

Hi Carol,

When refering to a trademark in a document must the TM or the R follow the brandname at every reference legally? Does the first reference with the TM and a footnote meet the legal requirement?

[Barlow]

Hi Steve,

I did a little research and it appears that trademark and registration usage is very similar between Canada and the US, so you should be OK using this advice, but may want to confirm with the Canadian Patent and Trademark Office or the US Patent and Trademark Office(for "TM" Trademarks) or the US Patent and Trademark Office(for "R" Registrations). Trademark notation can vary by country, so it's best to check with the country where the mark is registered, if at all possible.

My understanding, and the way I was taught in the US, is that every reference to a Trademarked or Registered name must by identified with a superscript "TM" or "R", accordingly. Also, they are always used as adjectives. You should read over the information on this site for a full explanation: http://www.ggmark.com/guide.html It provides a good description of what these marks mean and how they should be used.

Good luck,

Carol