The Trademark Code - How to Use "™" and "®"

We often see the symbols "™" or "®" next to product or service trademarks, but do you know what they represent? These two symbols have very different usage methods and legal meanings, and grasping their proper application can greatly benefit the protection of your brand rights.

 

What is a "™" trademark?

 

The "™" trademark is also known as an "Unregistered Trademark." This means that while the trademark has not yet been officially registered with the government, your company is already using it and claiming ownership. Using the "™" symbol can remind others that the trademark belongs to your company and warn others against unauthorized use.

 

As long as a company starts using a trademark and the trademark has not been registered by other businesses, the "™" symbol can be used next to the trademark. This can protect your rights in using the trademark, even if the formal registration process has not yet been completed.

 

For example, when you just established a premium coffee shop and named it "Aroma™," you can use the "™" symbol next to the trademark to declare your ownership and warn other businesses not to use it without permission. This allows you to establish preliminary legal protection for your brand, even without completing the trademark registration.

 

What is a "®" trademark?

 

In contrast, the "®" trademark is also known as a "Registered Trademark." This means that your company has formally applied for and completed the trademark registration process with the government, obtaining the legal ownership of that trademark.

 

To obtain a "®" registered trademark, you need to apply to the local intellectual property management agency and go through professional review before being approved. After obtaining the registered trademark, you will have the exclusive right to use it, and can legally prevent others from using the same or similar trademarks without permission.

 

Using the aforementioned "Aroma™" coffee shop as an example, if you later successfully complete the trademark registration process, you can change the trademark marking to "Aroma®" to indicate that you have the legal ownership of that trademark.

 

As you can see, the main difference between "™" and "®" is whether the formal trademark registration process has been completed. "™" represents that the company is using the trademark, but has not yet obtained the legal ownership, while "®" indicates that the company has gone through government review and obtained the legal exclusive rights to the trademark.

 

So, should I use the "™" or "®" trademark?

 

According to relevant regulations, you can choose to first use the "™" marking, and then switch to "®" after obtaining registration. The benefit of this is that you can declare your ownership of the trademark first, and then further solidify your legal protection by completing the registration.

 

However, obtaining a "®" registered trademark is not a simple process. You need to spend time and money to complete the entire registration procedure, including writing the application, paying the relevant fees, and waiting for government review. During the registration process, you can still temporarily use the "™" symbol to declare your trademark ownership.

 

Many brand owners or startup entrepreneurs choose to use the "™" unregistered trademark when first establishing their brand, and then apply for "®" registration when they have the capability or need to do so. This not only protects their brand rights, but also allows them to use their limited resources more effectively.

 

However, even if you are temporarily using the "™" trademark, you still need to pay attention to certain matters. First, you must actually be using the trademark, and the trademark must not have been registered by other businesses. Secondly, you must regularly monitor the market to prevent others from misappropriating your trademark. If you discover any infringement, you must take legal action immediately.

 

In summary, whether you use the "™" or "®" trademark, you need to carefully manage and protect your brand assets. Trademarks are an important symbol of brand image, so you must fully understand the legal differences between these two types of trademarks and choose the most suitable usage method based on your stage of development and needs. Only in this way can you better safeguard your trademark rights and enhance the uniqueness and competitiveness of your brand.

 

References:
1. Taiwan Intellectual Property Office. (August 2023). Trademark Registration Application Handbook. Retrieved from https://www.tipo.gov.tw/tw/dl-280032-f5716f2d3b7844c9be5d40f341e76f81.html
2. Macao Economic Bureau. (August 2023). Trademark Registration Guide. Retrieved from https://www.economia.gov.mo/zh-hant/trademark-registration
3. IP Australia. (August 2023). Trademark Registration Process. Retrieved from https://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/trade-marks/applying-trade-mark/trade-mark-registration-process
4. Liao, Hsien-Chiang. (2022). Brand Strategy and Management. Taipei: Biz-Tech Culture.
5. Chang, Wen-Lung. (2021). Practical Analysis of Trademark Law. Taipei: Angle Publishing.
6. Lin, Hsiao-Shan. (2020). How Enterprises Can Effectively Use "™" and "®" Trademarks. MBA Library, 25(3), 56-61.

 

 

 

 

商標密碼 - 「™」與「®」的使用之道

 

我們常在產品或服務的商標旁看到「™」或「®」這兩個符號,你知道它們代表著什麼意義嗎? 這兩個符號的使用方式和法律意義可是大有不同，若能掌握它們的運用之道,對於維護自家品牌權益絕對大有幫助。

 

什麼是「™」商標?

 

「™」商標也被稱為「未註冊商標」(Unregistered Trademark)。這意味著該商標雖然還未正式向政府註冊，但你的企業已經在使用並宣告對該商標擁有所有權。使用「™」標示可以提醒他人該商標屬於你的公司，並警示他人未經許可不得使用。

 

只要企業開始使用某個商標，並且該商標還未被其他業者註冊，就可以在商標旁邊使用「™」標示。這樣做可以保護你在使用該商標時的權利，即使尚未完成正式的商標註冊程序。

 

比如說，當你剛成立的精品咖啡店取名為「Aroma™」時，你就可以在商標旁邊使用「™」標示，以宣告對該商標的所有權，並警示其他業者不得擅自使用。這樣即使尚未完成商標註冊,也能為自己的品牌建立初步的法律保護。

 

什麼是「®」商標?

 

相比之下,「®」商標又被稱為「註冊商標」(Registered Trademark)。這代表你的企業已經正式向政府申請並完成商標的註冊程序，取得該商標的法定所有權。

 

想取得「®」註冊商標，需要向當地的智慧財產權管理機構提出申請，並經過專業審查後才能取得。取得註冊商標後，你就擁有了對該商標的專有使用權，可以依法阻止他人未經許可而使用相同或近似的商標。

 

以上述的「Aroma™」咖啡店為例，如果你後來成功完成商標註冊程序，就可以將商標標示改為「Aroma®」，以彰顯自己擁有該商標的法定所有權。

 

可見,「™」和「®」的最主要差異在於是否完成了正式的商標註冊程序。「™」代表企業正在使用該商標，但尚未取得法定所有權；而「®」則表示企業已經透過政府的審查，取得了該商標的法定專有權利。

 

那麼,我應該選擇使用「™」還是「®」商標呢?

 

根據相關法規，你可以選擇先使用「™」標示，並在取得註冊後改用「®」。這樣做的好處是，你可以先宣告對該商標的所有權，並於未來完成註冊後，進一步鞏固自身的法律保護。

 

不過，要取得「®」註冊商標並非一蹴而就。你需要花費時間和金錢來完成整個註冊流程，包括撰寫申請文件、支付相關費用，以及待政府審查等。在註冊過程中，你仍可暫時使用「™」標示，以宣告商標所有權。

 

許多品牌主理人或新創企業家在剛創立時會選擇先使用「™」未註冊商標，並在有能力或有需要時再申請「®」註冊。這樣做不僅能保護自己的品牌權益，也可以更有效地運用有限的資源。

 

不過，即使暫時使用「™」商標，你也需要注意一些事項。首先，你必須真的在使用該商標，並且該商標還沒有被其他業者註冊。其次，你必須定期監控市場，以防止他人盜用自己的商標。一旦發現侵權情形，你必須迅速採取法律行動。

 

總的來說，無論是使用「™」還是「®」商標，你都需要謹慎地管理和保護自己的品牌資產。商標是品牌形象的重要象徵，你必須充分了解這兩種商標的法律差異，並根據自身的發展階段和需求，選擇最適合的商標使用方式。只有這樣，你才能更好地維護自己的商標權益，增強品牌的獨特性和競爭力。

 

參考文獻:
1. 台灣智慧財產局。(2023年8月)。《商標註冊申請手冊》。取自https://www.tipo.gov.tw/tw/dl-280032-f5716f2d3b7844c9be5d40f341e76f81.html
2. 澳門經濟局。(2023年8月)。《商標註冊指南》。取自https://www.economia.gov.mo/zh-hant/trademark-registration
3. IP Australia。(2023年8月)。《Trademark Registration Process》。取自https://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/trade-marks/applying-trade-mark/trade-mark-registration-process
4. 廖顯強。(2022)。《品牌策略與管理》。台北:商智文化。
5. 張文龍。(2021)。《商標法實務解析》。台北:元照出版。
6. 林曉姍。(2020)。〈企業如何有效運用「™」與「®」商標〉。《MBA智庫》,25(3)，56-61。