'TM' or 'R' sign on Social Media?
I am delighted to bring you the second episode of YOU LEGAL TV! After our first episode, I received an overwhelming positive response from our regular readers. This week, we discuss the use of trademarks in social media. If you use blogs or popular social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, this week's episode is for you. Should you use the 'TM' or 'R' sign on your brand when using social media? This is a question I am often asked by my clients, as well as what the legal implications are. You can also learn more on the topic of sharing content on social media in our blog post on Copyright and Social Media. If there is a topic you would like to feature on an episode of You Legal TV, I would love to hear from you! info@youlegal.com.au
See below for complete transcript of this episode -
Hi, my name is Sarah Bartholomeusz and welcome to You Legal TV.
At You Legal, we help leaders in growing companies make bold decisions in their businesses.
A question we've been asked recently relates to social media and the question is, should I use the TM sign or R sign on my brand on my social media sites?
In Australia you don't have to do that but we recommend it and the reason is two fold. Firstly, using the TM or R sign on your logo does mean that you stop your brand from becoming diluted in the market place, firstly.
And secondly, it helps identify to potential infringers of your trademark that it does have a trademark status.
So you can use the little TM sign on a trademark that is either registered or unregistered but be sure, if you're going to use the R sign that you have registered your trademark because using that sign on an unregistered trademark is an offense in Australia.
If you have any specific questions about this feel free to call me or shoot me an email. Otherwise, we'll see you on our future episodes of You Legal TV.
What Should I Do Next?
Contact us if you would like further legal advice on trademarks and intellectual property. Our lawyers at You Legal will be happy to assist you in whatever way we can.
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* This blog is for general guidance only. Legal advice should be sought before taking action in relation to any specific issues.