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Subject:Using (R) too soon? From:Geoff Hart <Geoff-h -at- MTL -dot- FERIC -dot- CA> Date:Wed, 18 Aug 1999 08:51:14 -0400
Brian Doonan wondered <<Can I use "R" to signify
"registered" for a technology that my company might get
trademarked in the near future or is this illegal?>>
Our staff librarian, who knows something about these things,
informed me that the correct use is "TM" when you've
applied for (but not yet registered) the trademark. The
information I have from the Canadian Intellectual Property
Office is terribly vague on this issue, but from what I can see,
you should stick to the TM designation until registration is
complete; there's no indication that using (R) is actually
illegal, but it is misleading and incorrect, and CIPO considers
it a bad idea... and they should know.
"Perhaps there is something deep and profound behind all those sevens,
something just calling out for us to discover it. But I
suspect that it is only a pernicious, Pythagorean coincidence." George
Miller, "The Magical Number Seven" (1956)
