Trademark Symbol
About Trademark Symbol
™ is the trademark symbol, a superscript mark indicating an unregistered trademark claimed by a brand or business for their product or service identity. The trademark symbol ™ serves as legal notice of trademark rights, distinct from the registered trademark ® and the section symbol § used for legal document citations.
The trademark symbol ™ appears as superscripted capital letters T and M. As a Unicode character, the trademark symbol holds codepoint U+2122 within the Letterlike Symbols block. Companies display the trademark symbol prominently on logos, product names, and marketing materials to establish ownership and deter infringement.
【Historical Origin】 The trademark symbol emerged in the late 19th century alongside modern trademark law. The British Trademark Registration Act of 1875 and U.S. Trademark Act of 1881 formalized protection, leading to widespread adoption of the trademark symbol ™ to assert rights even without formal registration.
【Modern Legal Usage】 Today the trademark symbol ™ is essential in branding and commerce globally, appearing alongside the section symbol § in formal legal documents. While the trademark symbol protects brand identity, the section symbol organizes legal text—both are critical typographic tools in intellectual property law.
How to Type Trademark Symbol
Windows Input
Method 1: Hold Alt and type 0153 on the numeric keypad; Method 2: Type shangbiao in Chinese input method; Method 3: Use Character Map to copy the trademark symbol.
Mac Input
Method 1: Press Option + 2 to directly type the trademark symbol ™; Method 2: Press Control + Command + Space and search "trademark"; Method 3: Use the Character Viewer for the TM symbol.
HTML/CSS Input
HTML: ™ or ™ or ™; CSS: content: "\2122";
LaTeX Input
Use \texttrademark or \textsuperscript{TM} for the trademark symbol ™ in LaTeX. The textcomp package provides \texttrademark for proper trademark symbol rendering.
Trademark Symbol FAQ
What is the difference between TM symbol and section symbol?
The trademark symbol ™ indicates unregistered brand trademarks, while the section symbol § references specific sections in legal documents. The trademark symbol protects intellectual property; the section symbol organizes document structure—both appear in legal contexts but serve entirely different purposes.
When should I use the TM symbol vs the ® symbol?
Use the trademark symbol ™ for unregistered marks and common law claims to assert ownership. Use ® only after official government registration, as misuse of the registered symbol carries legal penalties. The trademark symbol provides notice without requiring registration.
Do I need to use the TM symbol every time I mention my brand?
Legally, you typically only need the trademark symbol ™ on first use or prominent use in documents and marketing. Overuse of the trademark symbol can appear cluttered, so most brands limit it to logos, headings, and first mentions.
What is the Unicode for the trademark symbol?
The Unicode codepoint for the trademark symbol ™ is U+2122 in the Letterlike Symbols block. Its HTML entity is ™ and decimal reference is ™. The trademark symbol enjoys universal support across all modern platforms and fonts.