What do the ® and TM symbols mean?
You put others on notice that you have a registered trade mark by adding the ® symbol next to your name, or using the letters RTM. But wait till your trade mark registration is completed before you do that. In the meantime the TM symbol can be used to indicate that you are using the name in a trade mark sense – although it does not necessarily mean that your claim is valid. For example, someone else may have better rights over the name.
