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Subject:Re: (r) vs. (TM) From:Dan Roberts <DRoberts -at- ISOGON -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 13 Aug 1998 09:29:59 -0400
I'm a bit fuzzy on the wording, but one company that I used to work for
got around this issue by including the stock phrase "Trademarks and
Registered Trademarks are owned by their respective companies."
Dan Roberts
droberts -at- isogon -dot- com
-----Original Message-----
From: Linda K. Sherman [mailto:linsherm -at- GTE -dot- NET]
Sent: Wednesday, August 12, 1998 8:34 PM
To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
Subject: Re: (r) vs. (TM)
You're actually better off not to use any mark at all when you're not
sure. It is never necessary to use a trademark symbol or to even
acknowledge a trademark--the trademark is still protected by law
regardless of what you do. However, not all brand names are trademarked,
and so using (R) or (TM) would always be wrong in those cases, as is
using (R) when it's really a (TM), whereas omitting (R) or (TM) from a
trademarked symbol is never wrong.
Also, it is the responsibility of the owning company to protect and
publicize their trademark. If they fail to do so in a way that makes it
relatively easy to find out if the name is protected, why should you go
to any trouble and expense to find out? Are they paying you part of
their profits?
