™️
trade mark
Unicode: 2122 FE0F
Description
A trademark symbol, a capital 'T' inside a circle.
Group:
Symbols > other-symbol
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
Neutral; indicates legal status.
Backstory
The ™ (Trade Mark Sign) symbol originated in the legal field to denote an unregistered trademark. It was standardized in the Unicode character set to allow its digital representation across various platforms. The 'FE0F' is a variation selector that ensures the emoji presentation of the symbol, although its most common use is as a text character.
Usage Examples
- Legal documents: 'Product Name™'
- Marketing materials: 'New software update™ available soon.'
- Informal discussion about brands: 'Is that product still TM™?'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Commonly understood as a legal notice for unregistered trademarks.
East Asian culture:
Similar legal understanding, but less frequently used in casual digital communication compared to 'R' (registered trademark).