Although the Registered logo is used only for trademark rights protection, many people associate it with quality and reliability. Consumers think that products of brands with such a mark must necessarily meet accepted standards. In reality, this symbol is important not for consumers but for manufacturers themselves.
Registered: Brand overview
Meaning and History
The letter “R” in a circle became the symbol of a registered trademark only in 1946 after the Lanham Act was adopted in the USA. This set of rules establishes the norms for the use of trademarks in the USA. Before standardization, each company used its own designations, including verbal marks like “Registered” or “Reg. U.S. Pat. Off.” (Registered U.S. Patent Office), which led to confusion. They needed to be unified and ordered to avoid problems with intellectual property protection.
What is Registered?
The registered trademark symbol, depicted as the letter “R” in a circle, is a means of legal protection. It indicates that a particular object (word, phrase, image, design) has been officially registered and now belongs to one owner, so it cannot be used without their permission. This symbol was first introduced in 1946.
1946 – today
The ® symbol appeared in 1946 following the introduction of the Lanham Act. It warns that the trademark has been officially registered and is now under legal protection. The letter “R” in a circle is usually placed at the end – often in the upper right corner, but such placement is not mandatory. The standardized ® symbol is widely used not only in America but also around the world. In Unicode, it is represented as U+00AE. It is also permissible to use lowercase or uppercase “R” in parentheses. The letter “R” was chosen because it starts the word “Registered,” and the circle serves to highlight and frame it.
Font and Colors
The font of the ® symbol can vary depending on a specific company’s preferences. However, most cases use a standard variant, such as Arial, Helvetica, or Times New Roman. The main requirement is that the “R” be clear and easily readable within the circle.
Colors are chosen considering ease of perception, as the sign can be displayed on any background. The standard combination of black and white is usually preferred, but altering the palette and even making the image multicolored is allowed.