What does the r with a circle around it mean?
Asked by: Dessie Robel | Last update: June 18, 2026Score: 4.7/5 (51 votes)
The R in a circle (®) means "Registered Trademark" and signifies that a brand name, logo, or slogan has been officially registered with a government patent and trademark office, like the USPTO. It provides legal notice that the mark is federally protected, granting the owner exclusive rights and deterring others from using it, unlike the ™ (trademark) or SM (service mark) symbols, which can be used for unregistered marks.
What is the difference between R and TM?
When you see trademarks next to brand names or logos, you often see one of two trademark symbols, an R or a ™. Each letter represents the type of legal rights the mark is protected by. A mark followed by a TM (™) indicates a common law trademark, while R (®) represents the more formal registered trademark.
What does circled r mean?
The R in a circle comes from US law and indicates that a trade mark is registered with the US trade mark office, the USPTO. Use of the ® symbol confirms the mark's full trade mark protection.
Does Circled R protect my brand name?
The R circle logo, also known as the registered trademark symbol, indicates that a word, phrase, symbol, or design has been officially registered with the trademark office. The R logo provides legal protection and exclusive rights to the registered trademark owner.
Which is best, TM or R?
Use ™ (TM) for unregistered brands to claim rights and signal intent, and use ® (R in a circle) only for brands federally registered with the USPTO, as it signifies exclusive nationwide rights, while using it prematurely can lead to legal issues. The TM symbol indicates you are claiming a mark (like a logo or name) in commerce, but has limited legal weight; the ® symbol confirms official federal registration and offers significant legal advantages.
Area of a circle, formula explained
Which is better, trademark or registered?
R gives you much greater legal protections compared to an unregistered trademark (TM). If you register your brand name or logo (otherwise known as a “mark”), you get a legal presumption of ownership over it. Anyone who challenges your ownership has a much greater burden of proof to overcome if it's registered.
Is it illegal to use the R symbol without registering?
You can only use the federal trademark registration symbol after the USPTO accepts your claim. And you can only use this mark for the goods or services that you have registered.
How do I get permission to use the circled R?
The circled R can only be used once you have a federal registration. This means you've applied for it and received a trademark registration from the US government.
Which is bigger, TM or R?
Neither ™ (TM) nor ® (R) is inherently "bigger"; they represent different legal statuses for a trademark, with ® signifying a stronger, federally registered mark (like in the US), offering much greater protection than the ™, which can be used for any claimed mark, registered or not, to put others on notice of your claim. The ® is a legal symbol reserved for marks officially registered with a national trademark office, while ™ is a public claim of trademark rights, even for unregistered marks.
How long does a registered trademark last?
Trademarks do not have expiration dates.
A federal trademark lasts 10 years from the date of registration, with a potentially unlimited number of 10-year renewal terms. So, every 10 years, the owner of a federal trademark registration must renew it with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
Why use R instead of TM?
The R symbol indicates that this word, phrase, or logo is a registered trademark for the product or service. It must only be used in the case of registered trademarks and by the owner or licensee. It also must only be used in the regions in which you possess a valid trademark registration.
What does r symbolize?
The “R” symbol indicates that the owner is claiming trademark rights and the trademark has been registered, either in the national or regional trademark office. The “R” symbol can only be used once you have secured trademark registration.
What does TM mean legally?
Legally, the ™ symbol (for Trademark) signifies that a company claims exclusive rights to a word, phrase, or logo used with goods, even if it's not federally registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). It puts the public on notice of your claim, offering common law protection, but the stronger, federally-backed rights and exclusive use of the ® symbol only come after official registration, as the ™ indicates an unregistered mark or one awaiting application approval.
What is a registered trade mark?
A registered trademark is a mark that has been formally registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
When to use copyright or trademark symbol?
In short, copyrights are for creative works, while trademarks are for names, slogans, and symbols associated with a brand.
Is the circled R symbol a trademark?
What does the circle R symbol (®) mean? The circle R symbol (®) means that a mark is federally registered with the US Patent and Trademark Office, either on the Principal Register or Supplemental Register.
How to legally copyright a logo?
Contact the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (1-800-786-9199), for further information. However, copyright protection may be available for logo artwork that contains sufficient authorship. In some circumstances, an artistic logo may also be protected as a trademark.
Can someone steal my logo if it's not trademarked?
If your logo is registered with the USPTO (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office), you have a strong legal foundation to stop others from using it. But even without registration, you may still have common law rights if you've been using the logo consistently in commerce.
What names cannot be trademarked?
Names that can't be trademarked are typically generic terms (like "Coffee" for coffee), merely descriptive terms (like "Best Tasting" for food) without proven consumer recognition, common surnames, geographically descriptive names, and marks that are deceptive, offensive, scandalous, or confusingly similar to existing marks, as well as official insignia or symbols. These are generally barred because they aren't unique enough to identify a single source or would hinder public use and fair competition.
Can you go to jail for trademark infringement?
The penalties for criminal copyright and trademark infringement can be severe, involving: Imprisonment: Convictions can result in significant prison terms. For instance, under 18 U.S.C. § 2320, a first offense involving counterfeit trademark goods can lead to up to ten years in prison for an individual.
What cannot be registered as a trademark?
Marks not registerable as a trade mark in India– The trade marks which are not registerable in India are those which lack distinctiveness, and which are likely to cause deception or confusion in the mind of the public/ consumer.
Can a company sue you for using their logo?
Using a competitor's logo in your marketing is a high-risk move that can easily lead to legal consequences. Trademark infringement, false advertising, and unfair competition laws all provide grounds for your competitor to sue if they believe your use of their logo is misleading or damaging to their brand.