Trademark symbol

Have you used or have you seen the trademark symbol (the little TM) used in a story?

I have something that is a trademarked name, and I'm wondering if I should use it or not.

 

No. But make sure you use it properly (not all punch is Kool-Aid and not all SUVs are Jeeps).

 

Indeed. Fortunately, this isn't one of those well known products so there isn't a generic term. It's a fuckin' contest ... I better stop before I go on a profanity-laced tirade about ... I'm just gonna stop.

 

I spy something business profiley ...

 

Doing a story on the NBA Finals? Because that's trademarked. Same for Super Bowl and World Series. In fact, a lot of things in sports are trademarked, including virtually every professional sports team. Kind of goes with the territory in today's business world.

I'd advise leaving off the trademark symbol, unless it's really germane to the context of the story. Otherwise you'll find yourself affixing little TMs on everything.

 

Yeah, companies like Xerox, Hoover and Kleenex are always on the prowl for their trademarks being used as the term for a generic product.

 

The makers of SPAM had an unintentionally funny ad in the Columbia Journalism Review recently instructing journos on proper use of their product's name.

 

Hoover? Really? I've never heard anyone refer to a vaccuum as a Hoover.

 

The Brits say "hoovering" for vacuuming.

 

When I was at the college paper, one of our feature writers made a reference to a "velcro wall" at one of those traveling fitness shows, and we got a nasty letter from the makers of Velcro informing to either capitalize it or use the term "hook and loop fastening device."

 

What about Hummer?

 

I'm gonna xerox this thread, seal the envelopes with scotch tape, fedex it to everybody I know, then kick back and have a coke.