Who Needs to Include the Trademark Symbol?
Unlike the copyright symbol, the “R in a circle”, or symbol, informs the public that the mark is registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Failure to provide the trademark symbol may result in some loss of your trademark rights. (5) The use of the “TM” (or “SM” for service mark) next to a mark is to inform the world that someone has claimed ownership of the mark. There is no legal requirement to providing this type of notice. Other Issues There are many more issues for discussion in relation to trademark laws, such as the duration of a trademark, more details about the trademark law, fair use and trademarks, the Official Gazette publication, trademark search, and international trademark laws. At the end of this lesson, you will find a list of web sites that will provide more information about the above topics. Trademarks and its Relation to the Internet One issue involving trademarks and its relation to the Internet is the ownership of domain names. A domain name is the bas
