Three intellectual-property marks that are often used interchangeably in casual speech but denote legally distinct kinds of protection.
© covers creative works and generally applies automatically on creation. ™ and ® both cover brand marks, but ™ asserts an unregistered claim anyone may use, while ® is legally restricted to marks actually registered with a trademark office — using ® without registration is unlawful in many jurisdictions.
| Copyright symbol | Trademark symbol | Registered trademark symbol | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Symbol | © | ™ | ® |
| Protects | Original creative works (writing, art, music, software, etc.) | Brand names, logos and other marks distinguishing goods/services | Brand names, logos and other marks distinguishing goods/services |
| Requires formal registration? | No — protection is generally automatic on creation under the Berne Convention | No — can be used to assert common-law trademark rights | Yes — legally restricted to marks actually registered with a trademark office |
| Historical/legal basis | Formalised internationally by the 1952 Universal Copyright Convention | Common-law trademark practice, varies by jurisdiction | National/regional trademark registration statutes (e.g. USPTO in the US) |
| Relationship (from Symbolwise's records) | Associated with Registered trademark symbol — Both belong to the Intellectual property marks system.; Associated with Trademark symbol — Both denote a claimed intellectual-property right, but over different subject matter (creative works vs. brand marks). | Associated with Registered trademark symbol — Frequently confused; see the comparison page for the legal distinction.; Associated with Copyright symbol — Both belong to the Intellectual property marks system. | Associated with Trademark symbol — Frequently confused; see the comparison page for the legal distinction.; Associated with Copyright symbol — Both belong to the Intellectual property marks system. |
The ™/® distinction and the registration requirement vary by jurisdiction; this comparison describes the general international pattern, not the law of any single country.
Encyclopaedia Britannica · retrieved 2026-07-26
Universal Copyright Convention (1952)
WIPO Lex · retrieved 2026-07-26
A single C in a circle asserts copyright. Two C shapes mark a Creative Commons licence — which grants specific permissions while the creator keeps their copyright. A CC badge does not put a work in the public domain, and it does not tell you what you may do on its own: the condition marks beside it carry the terms.
The contactless indicator is four nested arcs and marks a payment card or terminal. The N-Mark is a wave-like capital N, is a trademark of the NFC Forum, and marks where to tap a device for near-field communication generally. The underlying radio technology overlaps, which is why the two get used interchangeably even though the marks belong to different bodies.
Both are drawn as arcs radiating from a point, which is why they are confused. The Wi-Fi mark fans upward from a dot at the base and indicates a wireless network. The contactless mark lies on its side, opening to the right, and indicates that a card or terminal supports tap payment. Orientation is the reliable tell.
Between two quantities, two level strokes assert that they are equal. Enclosed in a circle on a licensed work, the same two strokes are the no-derivatives condition: the work may be shared, but modified versions may not be distributed. Adapting it privately is not restricted — the condition is about sharing the result.